第22章

Ipromptlycanceledmyticket，waited，andmethim。Heprovedtobeapersonofhappilytreacherousmemory，sothatthesimpleexpedientofarranginghisstatementsinpairswassufficienttoreducehimtoconfusion。Forinstance，hehadbeentrappedintomakingtheunwaryremark，“IdonotwanttorepealtheCivilServiceLaw，andIneversaidso。”Iproducedthefollowingextractfromoneofhisspeeches：

“Iwillvotenotonlytostrikeoutthisprovision，butIwillvotetorepealthewholelaw。”Tothishemerelyrepliedthattherewas“noinconsistencybetweenthosetwostatements。”Heassertedthat“RufusP。Putnam，fraudulentlycreditedtoWashingtonCounty，Ohio，neverlivedinWashingtonCounty，Ohio，orinmyCongressionaldistrict，orinOhioasfarasIknow。”Weproducedaletterwhich，thankstoabeneficentProvidence，hehadhimselfwrittenaboutMr。RufusP。

Putnam，inwhichhesaid：“Mr。RufusP。Putnamisalegalresidentofmydistrictandhasrelativeslivingtherenow。”Heexplained，first，thathehadnotwrittentheletter；second，thathehadforgottenhehadwrittentheletter；and，third，thathewasgrosslydeceivedwhenhewroteit。Hesaid：“Ihavenotbeeninformedofoneapplicantwhohasfoundaplaceintheclassifiedservicefrommydistrict。”Weconfrontedhimwiththenamesofeight。Helookedthemoverandsaid，“Yes，theeightmenarelivinginmydistrictasnowconstituted。”butaddedthathisdistricthadbeengerrymanderedsothathecouldnolongertellwhodidandwhodidn’tliveinit。WhenIstartedfurthertoquestionhim，heaccusedmeofalackofhumorinnotappreciatingthathisstatementsweremade“inajestingway。”andthenannouncedthat“aCongressmanmakingaspeechontheflooroftheHouseofRepresentativeswasperhapsinalittledifferentpositionfromawitnessonthewitnessstand“——afrankadmissionthathedidnotconsiderexactitudeofstatementnecessarywhenhewasspeakingasaCongressman。Finallyherosewithgreatdignityandsaidthatitwashis“constitutionalright“nottobequestionedelsewhereastowhathesaidontheflooroftheHouseofRepresentatives；andaccordinglyheleftthedelightedcommitteetopursueitsinvestigationswithoutfurtheraidfromhim。

AmoreimportantopponentwasthethenDemocraticleaderoftheSenate，Mr。Gorman。InaspeechattackingtheCommissionMr。Gormandescribedwithmovingpathoshowafriendofhis，“abrightyoungmanfromBaltimore。”aSunday-schoolscholar，wellrecommendedbyhispastor，wishedtobealetter-carrier；andhowhewentbeforeustobeexamined。Thefirstquestionweaskedhim，saidMr。Gorman，wastheshortestroutefromBaltimoretoChina，towhichthe“brightyoungman“respondedthathedidn’twanttogotoChina，andhadneverstudiedupthatroute。Thereupon，saidMr。Gorman，weaskedhimallaboutthesteamshiplinesfromtheUnitedStatestoEurope，thenbranchedhimoffintogeology，triedhiminchemistry，andfinallyturnedhimdown。

ApparentlyMr。Gormandidnotknowthatwekeptfullrecordsofourexaminations。IatoncewrotetohimstatingthatIhadcarefullylookedthroughallourexaminationpapersandhadnotbeenabletofindonequestionevenremotelyresemblinganyofthesequestionswhichheallegedhadbeenasked，andthatIwouldbegreatlyobligedifhewouldgivemethenameofthe“brightyoungman“whohaddeceivedhim。

However，that“brightyoungman“remainedpermanentlywithoutaname。

IalsoaskedMr。Gorman，ifhedidnotwishtogiveusthenameofhisinformant，togiveusthedateoftheexaminationinwhichhewassupposedtohavetakenpart；andIoffered，ifhewouldsenddownarepresentativetolookthroughourfiles，togivehimalltheaidwecouldinhisefforttodiscoveranysuchquestions。ButMr。Gorman，nothithertoknownasasensitivesoul，expressedhimselfassoshockedatthethoughtthattheveracityofthe“brightyoungman“

shouldbedoubtedthathecouldnotbringhimselftoanswermyletter。

SoImadeapublicstatementtotheeffectthatnosuchquestionshadeverbeenasked。Mr。Gormanbroodedoverthis；andduringthenextsessionofCongressheroseandcomplainedthathehadreceivedavery“impudent“letterfromme(myletterwasarespectfulnotecallingattentiontothefactthat，ifhewished，hecouldbypersonalexaminationsatisfyhimselfthathisstatementshadnofoundationinfact)。Hefurtherstatedthathehadbeen“cruelly“calledtoaccountbymebecausehehadbeenendeavoringtorighta“greatwrong“thattheCivilServiceCommissionhadcommit