Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-21
Dismissal Of Mrs. Roberts to Be Fully
Considered:
SHARP LANGUAGE IN fHE SENATE
Mr.. Allen Denounces Her Treat
ment as Brutal.
A TYPICAL CASE, HE SAYS


to send to the Senate a statement of all
charges against Mrs. NJ e. Roberts, who
was removed, from the psnsion office last
May. Strong language was fndulged in by
Mr. Allen during the course of his remarks,
but he finally consented to have the resolu-
ton referred to the committee on civil ser
vice and retrenchment, Mr.. Pritchard, the
chairman of that committee, promising
him that the matter would be fully investi-
gated.
Mr.. Allen opened his remarks by saving
that last night he had made some inquiry
regarding the antecedents of the lady
whose case was being considered. He
SAID that from gfrlhOod to mature woman
mood she had lived at CovinEton KY. and
was an acquaintance of Mr.. Carlisle, ex-
Secretary of the Treasury. During many
years of her widowhood she had been a
member of the family Of the late Senator
seek OF Kentucky. from whom she Sc
senator Teller when Secretary of the In
terror mad appointed her, and Mr.. Allen
said ne understood that Senator Allison
mao interested himself in her behalf.
Mr. Allen said he had also learned some-
thlng OF the manner in which Mrs Roberts
was treated when she applied for the spe-
CHIC charges against her.
Mr.. Aliens Denunciation,
II the statements given me are correct"
said MIR. Allen. mo self-respecting- gentle
man would have treated Mrs. Roberts as
she was treated. 1 cannot see how the
senator from New Hampshire can even be
an apologist for the treatment this lady
received at the hands of the Secretary of
the interior. A domestic animal ought not
De so treated. 1t is not very lordly or gen.
liemaniy, and 1t is not a mark of very high
breeding for man occupying On exalted
position to be brutal in his treatment of a
person occupying subordinate place under
MN. IL so, do not know what pretense
10 the character Of a gentleman can be
maze py such a one If the commissioner
OF pensions wanted the place held by this
iady. and which she had occupied for sew
enteen years. why did he aim covert dag
acter Why did he not say:
You are democrat from a democratic
family, and l want the position you occupy
That Is what 1 meant when 1 called for
to some republican, and If you do not sur
render 1t l will remove you for incom-
potency. But I will not be SO unkind or
inhuman as to place charge against your
any inspection of such charge you may
wish to make"
Mr.. Vest asked If there was any charge
against the lady on record, and If so, he
Mr.. Allen seid there was According to
the statement of the commissioner Of pen
sions and of the Secretary of the Interior
to Mrs. Roberts there was such a charge.
The charge was something against the
character of this lady, but she was not al
lowed to see what 1t was. They would not
even tell her what 1t was.
Taking advantage of his. high position"
said MIR. Allen. 1.-The Secretary of the In
terror studiously secretes this charge from
this woman, and I am led to believe that
this is simply one of hundreds of cases.
He must be coward and poltroon, in
deed, who will make a covert insinuation
against the character of any person and
then not make statement of what that
charge is, giving the accused person an
opportunity to show it to be false
Mr.. Allen referred to Mr.. Gallinger's OBJ
lection to have the Senate look into ques-
tons of dispute between heads of depart
ments and clerks. Il suppose" said Mr..
Allen. "the senator from New Hampshire
looks upon clerk as he does upon dog,
and thinks such one should be given no
opportunity to defend himself or herself"
Resented by Mr.. GaIlinger.
Senator Gallinger was quickly upon his
feet and said that Mr.. Aliens remarks
were unpariiamentary and that he had no
authority to make such a statement.
Mr.. Allen then read from the Record Mr.
Gallingers remarks of yesterday and said
that he had evidently intended to convey
the idea that it Is beneath the dignity of
the United States Senate to inquire into
the charge. He said that according to this
view of the case. If the head of a depart
ment violates a statute or Is guilty of in
justice, the Senate should remain silent
when It's attention is called to the fact
Mr.. Gallinger said that he had nothing
to say against any woman when she came
before proper tribunal asking redress for
q wrong or supposed wrong But, he
said, the United States Senate was not the
place in which to try this case.
He said he had made motion 20 send
the resolution to the committee On civil
service reform and retrenchment, and that
in the privacy Of that committee room pa
pers could be called for, the Secretary of
the Interior and the commissioner of PEN
stons could be called upon to appear before
the committee II 1t was thought MT and
that the whole matter could be investigated
there without any publicity which might
be very harmful to Mrs. Roberts.
Rights of Heads of Departments.
Mr.. Gallinger said that Mrs. Roberts had
written a very remarkable letter to the
Secretary of the Interior. He said the
President of the United States removes
men from Office. but nobody ever suggests
that he looks upon them as dogs merely
because he removes them. He thought the
heads of departments had the same right
and he said to his own personal knowledge
the commissioner of pensions had reduced
not only democrats, but republicans as
well. He said the motives of cabinet off,
GERS and of the commissioner of pensions
should not be impugned because accusa-.
tons against them are made in the man
Eer In which Mrs. Roberts had done. He
said it was unworthy of any man in the
Senate to do SO.
Mr.. Gallinger continued to say that there
are hundreds and thousands of cases In
this country that have as good a right to
be taken up by the United States Senate
as had the case of Mrs. Roberts.
The United States Senate could not un-
dertake to settle controversies between
cabinet officers and their subordinates He
said 1t was not the function Of the United
States Senate to do SO. He said he hoped
the case would be acted upon in such a
way as to give notice to the country how
the Senate stood in such matters.
Mr.. Allen objected to Mr.. Galiinger's re-
marks as containing hint that there was
something wrong with the moral character
Of the lady who had been dismissed from
the pension Office. and that this matter
was locked up in the pension bureau away
from the public eye. He said that the lady
had been endeavoring to secure q state
ment of what these charges were ever
since the 18th day of last May.
Referred to COMMITTEES.
After some further discussion Mr.. Allen
agreed to allow his resolution to go to the
committee on civil service and retrench-
ment. Mr.. Pritchard. chairman NJ thai