The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-05
CIVIL SERVICE HUMBUG.
President Mckinley Pays No At
tention to FIagrant VioIators
of Law.

w aS0iuS GCu, Ady o1. AA0 iA
| which the Administration permits the
Civil Service law to be deliberately
dehed and set at naught where any
thing can be gained by so doing, is
we'll exempli6ed in report from the
National Civil Service Reform League
! to the Secretary Of the Treasury and
the President in regard to the conduct
! of Internal Revenue Collector Sapp.
of Louisville, Kentucky. This case
is particularly outrageous, Collector
Sapp not only dismissing clerks that
refused to contribute to the campaign
funds, but also forbidding them to at
tend meetings. of a Republican fac
tion opposed to that with which he is
identified.
These facts have been officially report
ed on several occasions by inspectors
of the Civil Service Commission and
the results laid before Secretary Gage
and the President, but without the
slightest notice being taken Of. them.
Mr. Sapp continues to bulldoze Fed
eral employees Just as he has done ever
since placed in Office.
The violations of law were first in
vestigated as long ago as 1899. On
November "A, Of that year, the Civil
Service Commission sent to MI, Gage,
Secretary of the Tresury, a brief con,
tanning a summary of the principal
facts stated above. The Secretary re-
piled November q, suggesting that
the matter, so far as it related to the
collectors Official conduct, should be
referred to the President, and that
evidence showing violations Of the
penal provisions of the law should be
brought to the attention Of the De-
partment of Justice: .ooo
Accordingly, on February 26, lSOO,
the commission transmitted both to
the President and Attorney General
summaries of the testimony. The pa
Ders were forwarded by the Attorney
General to the district attorney at
Louisville and submitted to the fed
eral grand jury, during the week be-
ginning November Is. 1860, but the
grand jury ignored the charges.
On the 18th of April, 1901, the
chairman OF the executive committee
of the reform league called the facts
TO the attention Of the Secretary OF
the Treasury, and of the Commission
er of the Internal Revenue, in per-
sonal interview, and was Informed
that inasmuch as the Office of the col
lector was Presidential Office, the
matter ought to be communicated to
the President directly, and that the
Secretary would be glad to investigate
the case if referred to his department
bv the President.
Accordingly, upon the 10Th day OF
April, 1901, the chairman addressed to
the President a Communication set
ting forth the principal facts and call
ing his attention to the sections o.
the civil service act forbidding polith-
cal coercion and the soliciting or re;
ceiving of campaign assessments and
the discharge or change of official rank
or COMPENSATION for giving or with
holding political contributions, ane
also to the rule for Furnishing all vlo
lators of the law by dismissal from the
service. But says the report
Collector Sapp still holds nj
The National Civil Service Reform
League has now again appealed to tn
President to remove Mr.. Sapp, cltlnn'
all the facts in such a way as to b
absolutely conclusive. But no one ex
poets Mr.. Mckinley to take action.