Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1889 — THE STATE CAPITAL. [ARTICLE]

THE STATE CAPITAL.

Civil-service Commissioners Lyman, Roosevelt and Thompson arrived In the city Tuesday and begdn an examination of the post-office here. The ekamination was Very rigid. The newspaper WSaboutWfiHhmFto observe the civil service rules is tne cause of the visit. If there are any abuses an effort wilt be made to correct them. It is known to the commission that while Mr. Jones was poetmaater the applicants for admission to the service were really all Democrats, while now the Republicans are the majority of the applicants. It is the intention of the commission to break this up. Mr. Roosevelt says emphatically that there can be no talk of observing the law, “as far as possible; it must be observed in its entirety.” No evasions of it will be tolerated, Mr. Roosevelt says that the President himself before the commissioners started to Indianapolis, raid to them and autherized them to report that he meant exactly what he said when he declared that civil service law should be observed in its letter and spirit “I am,” he said, “ready to co-operate with the commissioners to prevent any evasion and to punish any violation of the law.” “The investigation began with an examination of the records. It was found that since August, 1888, 208 persons have filed applications for examination by the Local Civil Service Board. The investigation included all the appointmenta made by Mr. Wallace, the postmaster. Tne commission decided that four appointments bad been made in violation of civil service rules and the appointments were therefore void. Mr. Wallace explained his conduct of the office and Mr. Roosevelt, of the commission, said: “It is only fair to yon, Mr. Wallace, to say that we recognize you have peculiar difficulties on account of the general character of this posteffice. tis not as if you succeeded in a postoffice in good working order and in good trim. We have none of us the least doubt of the honesty and integrity of your intentions.” The Supreme Court Thursday refused to reopen the Riley and Carson cases, pertaining to the position of the gentlemen as trustees of the institution for the t»luid and insane hospital, respectively. The Governor will therefore issue a commission to Riley, that to Mr. Ccrson paving been issued on the decision in his case in the first instance. “I fully concur,” said Governor Hovey, “in the dSsShting opinions of Justices Berkshire and Coffey, who deny the right of the General Assembly to elect trustees of the benevolent institutions, but, inasmuch as Justices Mitchell, Elliott and Olds concur in sustaining this power as to such institutions, I am compelled to regard those opinions as the law of the State. I have no desire to retard the action of the officers elected for such institutions, ana will issue the commissions for the same when demanded. The cases involvingthe right of the General Assembly to the offices ot Geologist, Mine Inspector, Oil Inspector, Chief of the Bureau of Statistics and custodian of the State-house are believed to involve different questions, which I am anxious to have settled without delay. They might be decided next week if the deendants would consent to present them to the Supreme Court. The two cases pending in the U; 8. court against Hiram Miller, ex-county treasurer, and Smith Williams, superintendent of the poor farm, came to a sudden ana unexpected termination Thursday. The proceedings took place quietly in Judge Woods’ room in the presence of the defendants and their counsel. The defendants each entered a formal plea of guilty to their respective indictments, and thereupon their statements were read in extenuation of their acts. After carefully listening to the special pleas filed, Judge Woods imposed a fine of $250 and costs against Miller and a fine of SSO and costs against Williams, which they paid. The court did not intimate what the law was with reference to the right of lunatics or idiots to vc te. He expressly left that an open question. He did decide that an inspector could not lawfully disregard a challenge, though he might well mow that the person whose vote was being objected to had every qualification of a legal voter.