Evening star., 1898-01-20
ARS. ROBERTS CASE
1t Occupies Considerable Time of the Senate
Today.
A Series OF Letters Read by Mr.. Allen
Mr.. GnllinEer's View Of the
Matter.

empioye OF the pension office who has
been dismissed during the present admins
trati'n. Mr.. Allen of Nebraska c:ened
what turned out to be an interesting dis
cussion by presenting a resolution call
Ing upon the Secretary OF the Interior
to furnish to the Senate all charges, in
whatever form they may have been made,
which were the basis of dismissal of Mrs
NJ. E. Roberts of 2O9 New Jersey avenue
northwest.
Mr.. Gapinger objected to the immediate
passage of this resolution, saying thai ne
held that heads of departments have AN
inherent right to remove clerks when they
see fit, and he did not approve of having
the United States Senate Interfere In such
matters. He said in such cases the civil
service commission assumes the right to
review the acts of cabinet officers and
clerks have right to carry their cases
to the President of the United States II
tney are removed or even reduced In SAL
airy. He said that If the Senate should
take up matters Of this kin6 and ask cabi-
net officers to give reasons for removals
he thought it would be going alto.e,Acr
too far.
Some Letters Read.
Mr.. Allen wished to have read a COM
munication addressed by Mrs. Roberts to
the President of the United States and
sent the same to the desk. There being
objection, he proceeded to read the COM
munication himself the printed document
he sought to lay before the Senate in that
way proving series of letters passing be-
tween Mrs. Roberts and the Secretary of
the Interior regarding her removal. In
this letter of Mrs. Roberts she stated that
she was dismissed last May from the pen
sion office for misconduct. but had never
been able to learn the charges on which
that action was taken. She said she had
frequently requested that these charges be
furnished her, in order that she might
reply to them.
The belief had become general, she said,
among her former associates that she was
dismissed because of some shocking moral
deficiency en- her part, and she considered
1t only justice that she should have an
opportunity to see and refute these in
furious charges. The letters read by Mr..
Allen showed that Mrs. Roberts had been
given what was called hearing before
the Secretary of the Interior on the case,
but at this hearing her request for the
charges against her was not complied with.
She claimed that the information that
had been used against her to secure her
dismissal had been put forward by some
woman in the pension bureau who was
sworn TO ruin her.
The Secretary CT the Interior. in reply
to another letter by Mrs. Roberts, in
formed her that there were no charges of
the kind she suspected in the department,
but he said she could not be reinstated at
that time, as her place had been filed and
there was no other vacancy. Mrs. Roberts
further stated in her letter to the Presi-
dent that she heard that an anonymous
letter had been instrumental in bringing
about her discharge.
The reading of these long communica-
tons took up nearly half hour. and Mr.
Hoar of Massachusetts objected to the time
being consumed, but MIR. Allen succeeded
in going through the entire series of let
tiers.
Il have never seen this lady" said Mr.
Allen, 'and 1 do not know who she is /
don't care who she is If she is a citizen
of the United States she has a right to
know of the charges used against her.
That government is infamous that will not
afford her justice when II is in it's power
to do 50, and that public officer who takes
advantage of his position to secrete from
her charges involving her character is TO
be condemned. l do not believe the Presi-
dent of the United States has ever seen this
communication. 1t has gone through the
hands of some clerk and been sent down to
some other clerk at the office of the COM
missioner of pensions Here is a woman
branded by great department of this gov
ernment, through secret charge against
her which she has petitioned to be shown
asking only to be given an opportunity To-
Nindicate her character and nothing more
Mr.. GnlIinEer's View of the Case.
Mr.. Gallinger said that this was not a
i'll print a good many weeks ago, referring
TO the printer circular from which Mr.
Alien had read.
Here is woman dismissed presumably
for cause nine months ago." said Mr.. Gal
linger. She appealed to the Secretary
of the Interior and has made her appeal
TO the President of the United States and
before receiving an answer has rushed
into print. The presumption is the Presi-
dent of the United States has referred
this communication to the Secretary of the
Interior and that that officer has in turn
sent it to the commissioner of pensions.
and it is now lodged in the hands of the
proper official for his consideration. Dur
ing the last administration there We're
thousands of men and women dismissed
from office, with without cause and il
1t is right to take up the case of this
woman here in the Senate 1t will be equal
ly right to take up all other similar cases,
and every man and woman who dis
missed during the last administration can
come to the Senate to have his case in
vestigated.'
Mr.. Gallinger said that tomorrow when
this resolution should come up for further
consideration he should move that it be
referred to the committee on civil service
and retrenchment. Continuing he said:
Il submit that this woman is her own
worst enemy. She is evidently a ready
letter writer. She has advertised charges
that have not been made against her. She
says she has heard from some source
charges made against her moral character
That is what almost every woman who
comes to me to complain about her dis
missal from the public service says. This
woman has had notoriety enough. 1 do
not think We want to proceed in the un-
usual way contemplated by the resolution.
Mr.. Allen showed tendency to further
debate the subject and insist upon the
United States Senate making a personal
Investigation of the case, but the case
until tomorrow morning when
1t will probably be a subject OF early dis
cussion.
The disposition of this case tomorrow is
anticipated with a great deal-of interest
as 1t may tend to establish a precedent
under which the Senate will personally look
into cases in which government employees