The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-06-18
Mr.. FOULKB REPLIES
70 A SECOND CRITIC
Civil Service Commissioner
Again Yields His Pen.
ANSWER FILLED WITH IRONY
Writer Of Famous Grab Letter" Elk
presses lis Undying Admiration to
an Indiana Han for His Unsolicited
AdmOnition Relative to Civil Service.

Civil Service Commissioner William
Dudley FouIfe has written to Samuel p.
Hoefg2n- Of Charlottesville. Ind. a
Democrat and dfssenter. 4 remarkable
communication which promises to at
tract more attention than the pu5Iica-
tion CT his now famous Grab letter" did
some time ago
Mr., Foul&e's previous effort, which
was in answer to a criticism of the
President as a civil service advocate.
and CT the Civil Service Commission as
his representative. created some little
amusement in official circles in Wash
ington- as it differed widely from the
form Of communications usually sent
when any are sent at alto those who
write 70 criticise the actions Of Govern
msnt officers
Compared to Crab.
IN that letter Nj. FouIke said there
was Just about as much sense in his
critics attitude as there was in the
celebrated definition OF crab-a small
red FISH that walks 3ackwards-and fol-
lowed this happy introduction with
about 2,006 words Of wit, humor, and
satire. such as very rarely passes
through the regular channels Of official
correspondence It was Mr.. Foulke's
first effort in this line and he was high
" compHmented, although there were
those who did not think his manner of
reply was in keeping with the entity
of his Office. But Foulke's friends
credited adverse criticisms 10 a spirit
Of envy and compIime1ted him all the
more highly
So tie Commissioner lay for another
chance tO-ss one Government official
expressed "trip airiIy through the
maze Of light and airy persifage
the other day he got 1t when he received
the following letter from Mr.. H3efgen.
Mr.. Hoefgen's Letter.
'CrawfordviIIe. Ind. May q 1902
Mr. Foulke. Civil Service Commission
Washington. D. c.:
Dear Sir: lily views as to civil ser
vice reform are taat II Mr. Roosevelt
were candidate fer President and Mr..
Bryan were the opposing candidate, and
civil service refo.Il was the paramount
issue, I would vote for Mr.. Roosevelt
As President I 10 not condemn him for
1000 Ct the clerks in the Cen
sus Bureau to cary on the work Of the
bureau for tn" present, and later al
certain date putting the bureau under
the civil service rules. What I do con
denim him for is the appointment of
Payne as Postmaster General, and his |
appointment Of GARRISON, OF Iowa, as a |
custom house officer at New York.
Doesn't Like Bonnel Decision.
Your own appointment gratifed me
but do not indorse your /
decision in the Ronnen case. He Of /
ended in one Of the most important pro- /
visions of the law He lives here. and is /
lctive in the management of the party.
md IS as much entitled as anyone to
'e classed as head cook and bottle
washer
1T is my opinion that you cannot /
make many such decisions as the Bon
ell case without losing your influence
S civil service reformer. l do not
Wish to be understood as being unfriend-
y to Mr.. Bonnell. for as a man and citI-
en- OF the town he stands well with mis-
But he may very prom
rIy be classed as one who needs TO be
laced under the restraining influence
the civil service law in office. Re-
pectfully yours,
SAMUEL B HOEFGEN."