The Sunday globe., 1901-07-07
MR.. METZGER' s CASE
His Mysterious Reduction as Chief
Clerk by Herman.
NO KNOWN CAUSE ASSIGNED
But the Air Thick with RumOrs-Was He Ar
btrady or CaprlOlOusy Degraded, or Is He
Guilty Of Any Offensep-Llght Demanded
BY Tho Public In thIs'Matter, and The Columns
Of The Globe Open for Explanation.

Of ] he 6l0be Upen Tor explanation.
The reduction Of Chief Clerk Metz.
ger, of the Land Office, will not down
despite the reticence of the officials in.
terested in suppressing the facts or
cause Of his degradation.
1t is now up to Binger Herman, Com
missioner Of the general Land Office.
The Globe has no desire to do injus-
tice to anyone-to do justice is the
very reason of its being-but it will
probe rottenness in the Departments
with an unsparing ham, no difference
who is hit. 1t has long been the rumor
in the corridors of the Interior Depart
ment and in the street that there was
something "rotten in Denmark" 1t is
a fact that Metzger was Chief Clerk Of
the Land Office, made such by Herman,
and that he was fired from that posi-
tion for some cause. What was it?
The Globe has been informed from
inside sources that Mr.. Dawson, Chief
Clerk Of the Department, on an inves.
tigation into Metzger's methods Of con-
Quoting the business of the Land Office
found sufficient cause to report him to
Commissioner Herman, who forthwith
removed him from the position of
Chief Clerk of the Land Office, and re-
duced him to an 81, 800 clerkship.
Among other things alleged against
Chief Clerk MetzgeT, at the time, was
the fitting of his residence with elec-
trio appliances, lights, etc., at the ex-
pense of the Government. He was
also, it is alleged, charged by Mr.. Daw-
trffh r,rrprhogfV,er OF n
higher figure than the market or com
mercial price. These are the minor
allegations which have oozed out from
the sealed vault where Commissioner
Herman keeps under timelock the Sc.
crets of the Department. The Globe
refrains, at present, from publishing
the graver allegations against Mr..
Metzger it has been put in possession
Of and which are, If true amply suf.
ficient to warrant his dismissal from
the public service. And not only his
dismissal but the resignation of MIR.
Herman, if not the Secretary of the
Interior himself, if it should develop
that they are cognizant of the offenses
alleged against Mr.. Metzger, One pa
tent facts stares the Secretary and his
Commissioner in the face, and that is,
Mr.. Metzger was removed as Chief
Clerk of the Land Office for cause. The
public is entitled to know the nature
of Mr.. Metzger's offense to warrant his
removal and judge if it's character JUS
titled the retention of the Chief Clerk
in a subordinate position. This infor-
nation is denied the public by the De-
partment, and hence a public journal
has a right to assume that the expose
would involve the responsible head of
the Department and reflect on the Ad-
ministration itself.
The Departments of the Government
are being conducted, under the present
Administration, after the manner, type
and pattern of monarchical countries.
The pubic is denied, through its rep
resentatives, the press, any but the
merest perfunctory or routine informa'
tion concerning the conduct of the Of
fees and the administration of the peo'
pes business. The scandals, defalca.
tions embezzlements and crookedness
are either hushed up or the details
denied the public. When a prominent
official is reduced or degraded, the pub
lie is left to guess the reason, if 1t can +;
no information as to the cause is
vouehsafed to the newspapers, so that
for all the general public knows to the
contrary Mr.. Metzger may be the vic
tim of oppression in Office of his SUI
perior, or he may be guilty of any or
All the offenses enumerated There is
no method of finding out the truth
when the heads of Departments refuse
to give out the information. If Mr.
Metzger is a victim of jealousy, favor
itism or other unworthy discrimination
by his superiors, he is entitled as an
American citizen and a civil service
appointee to full and ample redress.
If he is guilty of embezzlement, malad'
ministration or other offense, instead
of being simply reduced from Chief
Clerk to a subordinate position, he
should be prosecuted to the full
extent of the law Nobody who
knows Mr.. Metzger's ability will
doubt his clerical fitness for the
position of not only Chief Clerk
of the Land Office, but even Chief
Clerk Of the Department. He was not
therefore, superseded for inetiiciency
as he held the position sufficient
length of time to demonstrate his full
qualifications for the position.
Altogether, this is a case calling for
Executive interference or investiga-
ton. A high official reduced to a sub.
ordinate capacity without any known
cause ought to excite the curiosity if
not the investigation of the Civil Serv'
ice Commissioners, at least, provided
the members of that body are not or
namental salaried appendages of our
prosperity Administration.
When Congress meets, The Globe
proposes to have a committee of in
yesti CATION into this business Of arbi'
trarily reducing high officials to sub
ordinate capacities without the allega-
ton of any offense being made public
by the Department.
Mr.. Dawson will be put on the stand
to tell what he knows. Mr.. Holcomb,
the Appointment Clerk, probably
knows something about the cause of
Metzgers removal which he could give
to an investigating committee OF Con-
gress. The Globe will certainly make
some music in the air when Congress
meets next December which will not
be y cd fr thr soHI- If Hit"hCpll
and Herman. The people of the coun-
try are aroused about the exposures
The Globe is making in the Depart
ments here, and Congress will be apt
to pay some heed to them. But The
Globe will be fair to all. If Metzger,
Herman or Hitchcock have anything
to say in explanation Of the ugly Cos
sip that is thick enough to be cut with
a knife. our columns in the meantime
are open to them
Is il True That ---
Deputy Commissioner Kelly, O., the
panefon Oo3pa WI, NOT bp rp-guDOint-