Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-23
FOUND HIM GUILTY
Recorder Of Deeds Taylor and the
Civil Service Law.
COMING REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
The President Will Be Presented
With Convincing Proofs.
l. E a G. L f AND B AU

II Il n VI = r. A y u Is u h h A u
In the course of the next day or two
there will be placed in the hands of the
President report from the civil service
commission giving the results Of the investi-
CATION now practically completed by that
body into the charges alleging that c. Fl. ].
Taylor, the recorder of deeds of the Dis
trict of Columbia. had been soliciting cam
paign funds from government employees
contrary to the provisions of the civil serv
ice law. The members of the commission.
In accordance with their usual practice re-
fuse to make any statement as to the re-
suits OF their investigation. They have
been engaged for several days past In thor
ougbly ascertaining the facts and yester-
day Mr.. Taylor himself appeared before
the commission and made an argument in
his behalf and gave an explanation Of his
connection with the matter. AS is well
known, the trouble IN which Mr.. Taylor is
involved arose out of letters bearing his
signature as an officer of the Negro Demo-
cratic League asking department en-
ployes to call at his Office at the head
quarters of the league on business of i'm
portance.
1t Is claimed by those who are familiar
with the facts that Mr.. Taylor's violation
of the law In this connection Is clear and
undeniable. 1t is understood tnat this Will
be the conclusion reached by the civil ser
vice commission in the report which will be
submitted to the President. Mr.. Taylor, IL
Is said, has not displayed the adroitness' 10
use a familiar Illustration, necessary In
skating near the edge of the Ice without
tumbling into the open water. 1t Is said
that he not only approached the limits laid
down by the law, but he threw himself
bodily over Ii, and 1t Is his poaching on the
grounds fenced In by the law which the
commission will point out to the President.
As to Race Prejudice.
The attention of the civil service COM
mission has been called to a statement at
tributed to Mr. Taylor. in which he claimed
chat the investigation was made because
the Negro Democratic League was a col
ored Organization. He expressed the opin-
ion that various state political organi.a-
tions had been looking after voters from
their states. assessing campaign contrib
utors and doing what the negro league had
DONE and yet they we're not molested.
Mr. Taylor attributes this discrimination
to race prejudice and intimates that If he
had bean white man no investigation
would have taken place In their communi
cation to Mr.. Taylor the civil service com
mission request him to kindly furnish them
with the names of the state associations
whom he claims are violating the law and
such facts as may be In his possession, as
surfing him that the matter will receive
their prompt attention.
Gross Violation of Law.
The inquiry into this case OF Mr.. Taylor
has been conducted by MIR. Roosevelt and
Mr.. Proctor. The other member Of the COM
mission-Mr. Lyman-has been away, but
he returned last night and was at the office
today, and will, no doubt, make himself
familiar with the case, so that the report,
which will be sent to the White House
all probability bear the signatures of the
three commissioners. 1t Is understood that
the facts stated in this report. as well as
the findings which will be based upon them,
will be of such a character as to demon
strate beyond the shadow of a doubt that
Mr.. Taylor has grossly violated the civil
service law.
To Abolish the Bureau.
Members of the Negro National Demo-
cratic League are determined to have the
Afro-American bureau Of organization Of
the democratic congressional committee
abolished, and Robert G. Still, chief Of the
bureau, and his colleagues are equally de-
termined that the bureau shall be main
tanned. The former assert that the league
is the only organization required to meet
the demands of the colored voters Of the
country and to harmonize all factions OF
negro democrats, and the latter strenuous
ly insist that the bureau Is a necessary ad-
junct to the committee. In the letter sent
today by the league to Senator Faulkner,
chairman of the democratic congressional
committee, H. G. c. Astwood. chairman of
the executive committee of the league, stat
ed that the only question at issue Is the ad-
visibility of having but one national or
ganization. 1T Is certain" he said, that
the two organizations cannot exist without
a conflict, and. as one can do the work,
there is no need Of two. The bureau is local,
the league national; a selection needs but a
moments consideration of the interest Of
the party at stake. Continuance of the
bureau cannot fail to engender strife and
faetIonal opposition" Mr.. Astwood called
on Senator Faulkner today to urge immedi-
ate action in abolishing the bureau.
Taylor mt the White House.
Recorder Taylor IS shrewd manager and
knows full well the advantage of the first
move He got ahead of the civil service
commission today in one respect. He was
one of the many alters at the White House
this morning to see the President, and, like
many others, failed in his mission. SINH
larry unfortunate was the recorder in his
efforts to see Private Secretary Thurber
The office of the latter was thronged at the
time with Congressmen waiting Tor an ou,
dience with the President. Mr. Taylor had
with him, however, a carefully prepared
statement of his connection with the Negro
Democratic League and his brief connec-
ton with Mr. Stills Afro-American bureau,
written with the evident purpose OF show
ing the President that he was entirely in
rocent of the grave charges against him
that are being investigated by the civil ser
vice commission
1t Is understood that he denies having
made any political assessments or that he
has in any wise violated the civil service
laws governing the political conduct of
federal office holders. This statement was
sent in to Mr.. Thurber with the request
that it be submitted to the President at
the first favorable opportunity. He hopes
In this way to get his defense before the
chief MAGISTRATE in advance of the sub
mission OF the report Of the civil service
commission, and he is likely to succeed in
this purpose as nothing had been received
at the White House from the commission
In regard TO his case up TO late hour
this afternoon.
Additional Witnesses.
A number of witnesses, said to have re-
ceived assessment letters signed by Taylor,
representing the Negro National Demo-
cratic League, were examined at length to-
day by the commission. The original
charges were filed by w. Calvin Chase,
editor of the Bee. colorei newspaper Of
this city, and by messenger In the In
terror Department named Barnes. who is
also business manager of the Bee Both
Chase and Barnes, as well as Secretaries
F. L. Dawkins and NJ c. Kconce of the