The morning times., 1897-02-23
The DISMISSAL OF MR.. RYAN
A Statement From Him Regarding
the Matter.
He Scores Treasury Department
Officials and Members of Civil
Service Commission

plain to the average American citizen,
Service Commission, asking that his case
be investigated. That affidavit was
printed in The Times Up to last night
Mr. Ryan had not received a reply of any
kind from the commission and does not
now expect one. In conversation with
Il Times reporter last night Mr.. Ryan said:
1T will be remembered that l was dis
missed from the Treasury Department on
the day after election, having just been ap-
parenty defeated for Congress in the
Rochester district of New York. l WAS
reinstated by a certificate OF the Civil
Service Commission-but at a reduced
salary-on December 2, 500. on Febru-
airy 2, 1897, | was again dismissed from
my position. The Sar of the next day,
February B, had the following on the
subject:
1T was said at the department today
that he had been removed because he had
violated the wishes of the department in
this matter, by insttU ting a contest against
the election of Representative H. C.
Brewster, OF the Rochester district, on
the ground that his election was Illegal,
because Of the use OF the Myers ballot
machine in taking the vote. Mr.. Ryan, it
is said, was warned repeatedly to keep
out of politics and his action in filing
notice of contest OF Representative Brews
ters seat resulted in his dismissal.
THE Rochester Herald, published in
Rochester, n, y. my home. had this to say
Inquiry at the Treasury Department
brought out the following official state
ment concerning the affair:
''Mr Ryan ran for Congress last fall as
a free silver Democratic candidate. In
conducting his campaign he neglected his
official duties and for that neglect he was
dismissed. Later he made application for
restoration. He was restored to a lower
grade clerkshp, with the distinct under
standing that he would confine himself TO
| bis duties, but he had scarcely resumed his
| place as a clerk in the Treasury when he
| began contest. This was direct violation
| Of his pledge, and as he cannot conduct his
| contest and the duties OF his place at the
| same time he has again been dismissed
The fact that he is a free silver man, while
| his opponent is a Republican, has nothing
| whatever to do with his dismissal
while do not usually think it worth
| Injustice is committed by persons who are
| confeSSedly lawbreakers. / do desire to
| protest and place my protest on record
| against the idea that | have ever. in any
| way. been delinquent in my duties for
which Dire W pay from the government.
| These statements have been sent broad
cast with the manifest intent TO reflect on
my reputation. to smrch any personal
l fl -
! first dismissal that l was absent without
leave-had neglected official duties
| Il had leave OF absence. without pay,
while even the Honorable Secretary of the
| Treasury himself was working to defeat
| his party nominee. without an ntntermisson
| OF pay days. The Honorable Comptroller OF
| the Currency. the hot house, incubated,
exotic of a pseudo single gold standard
financieIing system. was on the stump
| for weeks. Did his pay stop? There seems
no record of such a catastrophe.
| ITO go further. the president OF the
| board of Civil Service Commissioners was
| 'stumping' 1t for number Of weeks down
| among the fast horses, and Jersey COWS,
and pretty girls, and blue grass, and
| other things, of Kentucky. Was there, on
| is there. any rule of the commission or any
| law by whichit is governed, which caused
| or could cause a cessation Of the regular
| flow of ducats in his direction? If so his
| tory, by failing to record it, has made Il
! grievous lapse.
But / drew no pay. Ny leave was at
| nv own expense and consequently l
breathed the free air of an American citi
| zen. / ain breathing it again, now.
There We're many notable examples Oi
| the 'with-pay' idea, of officials engaged in
political work. How many can he found
with no pay as in my case, and how
many OF these gentlemen have suffered
dismissal for political activity?
| In refutation of the imputation sem
to the newspapers, above quoted, besides
| many Others members of press associa
tions, that l had been derelict in my
duties. or that / could not conduct Z
political contest and attend to my duties,
desire to state that N over twelve year:
which | have spent in the Treasury De
partment, there has never heen charg'
made against my capacity, my capability
my application to my duties, or my in
telligence in performing whatever worl
was intrusted to me. on the contrary,
have in my possession letters OF personal
| commentator, acknowledging my eXcep
tional efficiency and application TO m,
| duties signed by the late Hon. Secretary
| Manning; by Hon. eX-Secretary Fairchild
by Gen. w S. Rosecrans, late RegiSte
ofthe Treasury and even under this presen
| administration by r. r. Bow Ter, the
| Hon Comptroller of the Treasury. Thi
last was ia letter written to the Secre
tary of the Treasury, in which | al
specially commended for services RENDERED
while detailed for duty in his bureau, per
forming expert work in connection wit
sugar bounty claims and army engineers
| accounts.
From the time of my reinstatement, o
December >, to my dismissal, on Februar.
., / spent not one moment of governmen
time in personal affairs. l did not eve
> make use of the regularly accorded leaves
amounting to five days, except for one
half day during the holidays. The insinu
, ations made in the above quotations, tina
1 neglected my duties, are absolutely an
unqualifiedly false, as considered froI
a standpoint of fact, and do not refleC
credit on the official from whom the
purport to come. That official is 10
much of a cowardto make statements whiC
he would be obliged to stand by, so
starts an insinuation factory and turr
; out sneaking, false, contemplate product
which he is afraid to father.
''In the beginning of my contest again'
the seat of the Hon. Henry c. Brewster
, in the Fifty-fifth Congress, simply e>
ercised the right of an American citize
;, aud npnsidare1 weu all tho trroS ir