The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-25
HANDS full WITH
INVESTIGATION.
An Interesting Matter to Come Before
the Next Congress.
CIVIL SERVICE THE THEME
The Discharge Last Saturday OF Rev.
T.. ID. Bailey, Former Chief Clerk OF
the Civil Service Commission, Re-
suits in his Making Charges.


will probably have its hands full Tor some
time with Investigations, great and small
which are almost sure 10 be ueuitilueu.
An Incident Of the past Few days Mhicn
has escaped general notice may furnish
a good subject for investigation. ana WILL
az tho least. furnish material FOR warm
debate 10 both friends and enemies OF
civil service.
Saturday of Rev. T.. -. Bailey, former
chief clerk OF the Civil Service Commis-
sion, and his charges against tle Nv"-
mission. The case has oeen coming 70 Il
head for some time and IS the direct re-
suit Of an investigation heid ny the SEN
ate At the last session OF Congress.
INTERESTING CHARGES.
In the course of am interview MI. Bailey
makes some highly interesting charges
with reference 10 the administration OF
| the civil service law by the Commission
| as az present constituted. These Will Dee
referred TO further on IN this letter.
The order OF the Commission dlscharB-
| iug Mr. Bailey reads as follows;
whereas. the Commission did on the
18TH day OF August. ISIS, notify DO writ
ing Mr. Edwin ID. Bailey am emDloye ln
| and under the Commission. that the Conc
mission had under contemplation his dis
missal from the position he held under
the Commission for the reason that said
Bailey had uttered and used words and
language in the public press and other
wise falsely charging the Commission
with having faisified tho official records
of the Commission and performed other
dishOnOrable official acts. as more fully
set forth in the notice containing such
charges served upon Mr.. Balleyf ana
whereas said Bailey was In sucn notice
requested 10 appear before the commits
sion on the 10Th day of August ltgA. ar
o'clock T. VI. of said day. and then ana
there make answer verbally or in writing
% such charges as were given in auch
notice:
MADE no DENIAL.
"A boz
appeared al the time mentioned and iici
with the Commission lengthy statemcnt
in writing. IN which DE makes no dcnlhl
OF the charges preferred by tho Commits
sion against him. as set forth in the. no.
uce served upon him. but suhStun .IF
admits the allegations and charges set
! forth In such notice 20 be true. ana only
seeks 90 justify the Wtcring OF such
words and thu using Of such lancuage as
charged against him hy the Comm sion
therefore Che Commission now here. ~
matter Of fact. finds that the charges
made hy the Commission against said
Bailey and given I'm such notice TO him
are true and they further find that the
words uttered and language used by MI
| Bailey as shown In such notice were un-
| true and unwarranted touching the COM
| mission and for this reason the Com
mission o. OF the opinion that such false
and unwarrauted allegations made by
/ said Bailey against the Commission are
| good reasons for his dismissal from sep
vice under the Commission.
! Therefore. 30 Is hereby ordered that
| Edwin ID. Bailey Boz. and he IS hereby
| dismissed from service in and under tine
Commission. such dismissal To- take effect
az the close of work, nc Q o'clock =. NJ
on August -l. lNs.
MIR. BAILEY's STATEMENT.
The statement made by Mr. b4iley
referred To in the second paragraph ABOVE
reads I'm part as follows:
"ln July 1885, I was transferred rom
| the War Department and assigned TO
.H.H % aF
which position ] filled for more than ten
years. when ] was summoned 90 ape
pear ebfore the senate committee which
investigated the civil. Service Commission
was cautioned by the President OF the
commission against giving testimony
which would draw attention 20 the inter-
nal administration of the affairs of me
commission After my first testimony
was given The President OF the commits
sion drew from his pocket typewriter
statement which ne read before the Inc
vostigating committee, which was "a per
sonal attack on me-. apparently maue
with view 10 discreditiug my testimony
I'm subsequent interviews / was warped
that my standing with the commission
depended on the course i should pur-
sue
when my testimony was completed
you Immediately reduced me from chiet
clerk to an ordinary clerksnip ana ass
signed me 10 the application division.
Later on. July 81. you reduced me Bro SALE
AIRY from class 4 10 class % and gave
10 n reporter for publication o COPY Of
the minutes adopted by you, lu Whlch
You declared nae to Doe the lowest I'm ef-
ncicncY of the clerks OF class Z, and
much lower iu usefulness than one OF tho
clerks I'm the next lower class. whom you
promoted 90 nay place. / was first INFORM
cd of this action by reporter who ask
cd me % comment ON it. This dee
ciined 70 do. and / persisted in declining
until he drew from his pocket copy
OF the minute made by You Zoo my case
and read IL 10 mo- When ! heard fhe
minute read. prOnOunciuE mo in very
offensive terms 10 be am incompetent
clerk. the lowest ~ my class and whom
the reporter Informed mo that you had
given 1t 10 him for publication 7 was
sfung 10 the quick and astonIshed Dee
yond measure. NOT ar your action In rc-
duclng me- but at tho statements. the
modification of which Won had authorized.
~ SELF-DEFENCE.
II was then ] dictated 90 the rcoorier
n few modest sentences FOO self-defelce.
This IS the offence for which Won now
propose t0 discharge me from Che pub.
iie service and from an Institution which
exists for the very purpose of maintain
ing "a merit system
"The Justification Of my interview is
still further apparent fgom the following
statement of facts qud'ed Boo part from
my letter 10 You Of August ?, protesting
against my reduction.
In tho minute adopted by you on july
Doth. when You reduced mo from class
a. to class 3 you refer 10 work report
alleged fact that 7 am the lowest l1 ff-
hciencv Of the clerks OF my class To mv
personal knowledge. no work reports
were ever kept which applied 20 my
duties.
"As 10 the efficiency ratings 70 IS no.
toriOus that there never We're any for tle
class 10 which 7 belong until they were
made by yourselves within few weeks
last past with % view % the very action
which you have now taken. You COM
rnenced preparation for this action bv
disbanding the promotion board required
by the rules. and designating yOureo'vef
as such board. You thus created am
anomalous situation which has not its
counterpart in the entire civil service Of
the United States. In this way you have
made yourselves masters OF the situation.
HE WAS DEGRADED.
AS n part Of the preparation for this
action You degraded me from an eXecl-
tive position 10 an ordinary clerical pest
ton. which under n very peculiar eff
fciencv scheme adopted by yourselves
dropped my rating on character Or work
performed from q very high grade ~ a
very low grade. Thus Dv mere change
Of designation YOU robbed me Of the
grade 10 which the clerks of class are
entitled and forced me into q position
where YOU might with apparent fairness
lbut ~ Is only aDparenU give me rat
inr below all others Of my class
In another interview Mr. Bailey speaks
~ some alleged abuses which have grown
up recently. IN part he says.
What disturbs me now is ~ sec dozen
hack doors omen where favoritcs are
being ushcrcd in while those who stand
M the front door are held 20 bay ana