The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-09
THE REGULATIONS OF 1884.

1
count of the attempt made by MIR. Senator
CLAYTON, in 1880, to expose the abuses
and frauds known to exist in the Post Of
fee. We have shown in what manner
this attempt was met, and that the investi-
CATION was bafiled, stifed, and frustrated by
men whose party interests required the sup
preston and concealment of those frauds
and abuses. The inquiry set on foot by
Mr.. CLAYTON was thus rendered ineffec-
tual, except in so far as it excited public
attention to the subject, and satisfied the
public mind that great abuses existed in
the Post Office, which the friends of the
Executive were doing their utmost to con-
ceal.
We are now coming to the development
of the efficient cause of the recent attacks
made by he old-line peculators upon Mr..
EWING. After the tyrant majority had
frustrated Mr.. CLAYToN'S attempt at
thorough investigation, Mr.. EWING took
up the subject on the second of January,
| 1888. Mr. SPRAGUE's resolutions on the
reduction of postage being under conside-
ration in the Senate, Mr.. EWING spoke in
favor of the resolutions. In this speech
we find the germ of the reform which he
afterwards undertook and carried through
in the Post Office. He stated that there
uara ~ fbat t,roa annuollx raca,vad and
disbursed in the Post Office Department
$4,000, 000-''ue know not hoic" Mr..
EWING continued:
I" 1t is true, told in the reports of the Post
" master General that this aggregate sum, or near
I" it, is expended in the transmission of the mails;
but the precise manner is not at all disclosed TO
u.s. We know not how much is sunk in afford
ing those unreasonable facilities which the honor
" able chairman says are 80 often asked, and are
pressed for with such earnestness that they can
' be limited only by limiting the means of the de
partment: how much IN extra allowances 10
contractors, and how. much in changes of con-
q tracts from hand to hand, on terms disad vana-
geous to the government We know nothing of
this, nor can we ever know, while the present
unchanged. As a matter Of theory, the Commits
" tee on the Post Office and Post Roads, to which
belong have right to inquire into these things;
and il there be Improydence and waste, or mis-
application Of the funds Of the department, to dis
/" close it to this body, that it may be exposed to
the public. But our excellent chairman, tender
of the labor Of some of his committee, and prodi-
gal Of his own, has been kind Of middle man
between us and the department, and has dealt out
+" to US Just so much information as he considered
Z" salutsry and suitable for us TO receive Over and
"again has it been attempted in this body to look
into the affairs Of the department, but always has
" the honorable chairman extended his broad egis
4" over them, and all beneath has been thus FAR
sheltered by It's ample shade. In truth, sir, as
long this department shall be sustained entire
y by its receipts, without resort IN the treas
ury, there will be ndisposition here to scrut-
I" nize It's disbursements. And il is unsafe, and
contrary TO the whole theory Of our Government,
to intrust to any officer the disbursement Of large
sums Of the public money without accountability.
" and without scrutiny. bring no charge against
" the present head Of this department rest my
views on general principles, and hold II most GER
{" tain that II there be not now waste and misman-
agement there, there will be; for II is inherent in
the very nature Of the system, it now exists y
After this exposition, and the direct
charge thus made by Mr.. EWING, that the
chairman (of the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads, Mr.. GRUSDY) had
always extended his egis over the De-
psrtment, and protected it against inquiry,
investigation was submitted to when it
could be no longer successfully resisted.
We read, therefore, in the history of the
time, that on the 9th Of June, 1884, Mr.
EWING, from the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads, who had been
charged, by resolution of March previous,
with the task of investigating the condition
and transactions Of the department, with
power to send for persons and papers,
made a report, which was read by Mr..
EWING, occupying an hour and 6fty-fve
minutes.
The report concluded with the following
resolutions, which embody the results OF
the investigation; and the introduction, il.
lustration, and proof Of which, in the Sc
nate Of the United States, by Mr.. Ewing,
constitute the great public offence for
which he has been ever since prosecuted
by the old-line peculators, with unremit-
ting hostility
l. Resoiusd, That IL is proved and admitted that
large sums Of money have been borrowed Of differ
ent banks by The Postmaster General, IN order to
make up the deficiency in the means Of carrying on
the business Of the Post Office Department, without
authority given by any law Of Congress; and that,
! as Congress alone possesses the power 10 borrow
money on the credit Of the United States, all such
contracts for loans by the Postmaster General are
illegal and void
2 Resotred, That several reports Of the Posnas-
ter General contain statements which, IN subsequent
papers, he admits 10 be erroneous; that others,
pecIsly those Of the 18th Of April, 1892, and the
Sd Of March, 1884, are inconsistent with each