The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-30
BUREAU OF THE SENTINEL,
WASHINGTON d C Nav 25
Cooper's Cap


gists of the last administration take
back water today. The republicans a
day or two ago opposed the appropria-
ton for extra clerks to bring up to time
the work In the checking division Of the
sixth auditors office. charging that the
work was behind on account of demo-
cratic incompetence. Mr.. Cooper re-
piled that the work was three years be-
hind because the checking division. I'M
der the direction of its chief, Hedges,
had been occupied a great part of the
time in preparing for publication a COM
pilation of the speeches Of Gen. Harri-
son. then president
Mr. Hedges who will be remem bered
in Indiana as the Associated Press agent
who sent out daily, during the cam
paign of IS. the dei'rgs of Gen. Harri-
son and Baby Mckee. for which services
he was rewarded with the head Of the
checking division. yesterday wrote let
ter, which Representative GrosvenOr
caused to be published in the Record.
denying Representative Cooper's charges.
He referred to Mr.. Cooper as a Modoc
and stated when he took hold of the Of
flee the work was three years behind
Jul NAADA AlN NNAA tiCN II bNti " LIZ h~AAAP
cratic successor he had gained one year
The republicans made much of
Hedges's letter. But today Cooper ST.
fenced them by producing reports and
letters proving more than he had
charged. He took Hedges's own report
of 80. showing that the work was only
ten months behind. while the report Of
his successor shows that Hedges left the
office three years behind.
Mr. Cooper exhibited the Hedges CON-
pilation of the Harrison speeches contain
ing 600 pages. The speeches were those
delivered while swinging around the cir
Gle in the West. Chairman Carter Of the
republican national committee Endorsed
the compilation fun If literary gems.
Each speech was set I'M an elaborate in
troductory. requiring considerable work.
The entire work Of compiling was done in
the office during office hours by govern
ment clerks. and when the book was pub
lished the copies were stored by the cart
load in the postofIice department building.
and there folded, packed. boxed and
mailed to subscribers by government en-
ployes during office hours. The book was
used as a campaign document and Wanna
was going on.
This division is charged with checking
all postofffce money orders and postal
notes when being audited This connec-
ton with every postofTice in the country
gave Hedges a fine field to work on and
every postmaster was expected to buy
five copies. Clerks under Hedges were
detailed during office hours to canvass the
department for the speeches of Harrison.
All this Representative Cooper proved by
certified statements of employees under
Hedges.
Confirmed by Clerks.
Cynthia E. Cleveland. one of the clerks.
certifes that Hedges's books were piled
up in the Office; that clerks We're employed
to prepare letters and circulars to pro-
mote the sale of the book; that messengers
and laborers were mployed to wrap them
M and address them to postmasters: that
Thornton Chea sely. a clerk of the office.
did little else than to canvass the other
clerks for the sale Of the book, and that
clerks who failed to buy were oppressed
by Hedges.
Meantime chaos pervaded the entire di-
vision. New York postal notes got lost
and were never found. The division was
running itself
Messenger Doolin states that Hedges
ordered him during office hours TO pre-
pare for mailing the Harrison speech
book.
Charles A. Gavin. an old clerk in the
same office states that he had seen Mr..
Hedges very busily engaged at his Of
fetal desk and during office hours pre-
pairing writings which turned out to be
the life and speeches of President Harri-
son.
Mr.. Hall. one of his clerks. was at
IL, fs cir 70
which seemed strange, as there was no
work in that division which requires cor
respondence. Some time thereafter he
noticed the room adjoining the chiefs,
used for a store. room for books, and
upon inspecting them found they were
the aforementioned books.
Mr. Glendenning, one of his clerks, was
engaged in addressing these books to
subscribers and postmasters during Of
fetal hours and whilst his name was
carried on the rolls. Shortly after this
clerk a substitute, was appointed to a
one-thousand-dollar position over a Miss
Pettigrew, who stood at the top of the
list in competitive examination for pro-
motion notwithstanding that Tom Reed
had interested himself in her behalf.
No Apologies to Make.
Concluding Representative Cooper said
that some had criticized him for his
habit of calling attention to things in the
discharge Of public office, but he had no
apology to make for that 1t was the
duty of every representative to expose
wrong doing in office. Hedges having re-
ferred to him as a Modoc, Mr.. Cooper
said: ST don't deny that under some
provocation I might indulge in little
Indian warfare. l think there ought to
be a Modoc for every Hedges" Gap
plause)
The republicans remembered their ex-
perience with Mr.. Cooper in the Raum
scandal and they wisely refrained from
saying word in answer. They also re-
member the fate of Populist Pence, who
has not uttered word since Mr.. Cooper
hayed him two months ago.