The morning times., 1896-03-12
SPY SYSTEM DENOUNCED
Item for Postal Inspectors
Stricken From the Bill.
CUMMINGS HOT REMARKS
He Declared That the Department
Has NO Right to Treat Its Em-
ployes as Suspected Thieves-wll-
sons Anti-Lobby Order Also Raked
Over the Goals.

The postoffice appropriation bill was
finally disposed of in the House yesterday
and sent TO the Senate The session was
chiefly devoted To n consideration OF the
spy" system in the Postoffice Department
as the espionage upon letter carriers i'll
the past year has been called, and il was
very vigorously attacked by several mem
bers
Upon an amendmeat offered by Mr.
Quigg, Rep, New York, 10 strike out the
increase of appropriation made in the
bill for the pay of poStoffice inspectors.
the principal speeches were made by
McSsrs Quigg, Cummings Dem, New
York. and Belknap, Rep, Illinois, i'll favor
of the amendment. and by Messrs Loud,
Rep. California. i'll charge Of the bill,
McMilln, Dem, Tennessee, Biusham. Rep,
Pennsylvania, and Kyle. Dem, Mississippi.
in opposition The amendment was agreed
to-162 To 63.
After the bill had been reported to the
House. Mr. Bron1welI, Rep, Ohio, moved
TO strike out the appropriation of $780,
600 for special facilities on the trunk lines
from Boston via New York and Washington,
TO Atlanta and New Orleans. which was
the subject of Tuesdays debate. The
motion faiIed-If1 yeas to 134 nays
members from the east and south generally
supporting The appropriation. and western
members opposing it.
ANOTHER con TEST TODAY
Before adjournment Mr. Daniels, Rep,
New York, gave notice that he would move
today to proceed with the Consideration
or the contested election ease OF AldriCh
VS. Robbins, from the Fourth district Of
Alabama.
MIR. Cummings made vigorous speech
| against the spy system and the policy OF
the Postoffiee Department. He said
Not many months ago l went into the
New York PCstofflce. found there several
| hundred clerks at work. and l saw in the
room a bridge like the Rialto at Venice.
stretching across the apartment, covered
| with blindS-a sort OF duck blind Laughter
where persons could raise the Stats and
| see through into this room, the same as
| a Turkish woman can LOOK out ftbc haIem.
l asked what that was. why" was the
reply, lit is a blind for the spies.
What are they doing there?7
.'They are watching the one OF two hun
dred postoffice clerks for fear some OF them
| might steal a letter.
And who watches the spies?'' ] asked.
IN obody." daughter and aPpIagse.)
why is it that the assumption is made
that the spies are all honest and the clerks
and letter carriers are an dishonest?"
| tApplause)
NEW YORK AN EXAMPLE.
Mr.. Chairman. we have had a spy sys-
TEN in the city OF New York. An organiZa-
/ ton known there as the Vigilance League,
covered the city with spies to watch the
| police department. And what was the re-
suit? Look at the records in the courts Of
| New York. There have been more spies
convicted of blackmail than there were
! police officers of bad conduct.
| Il shall vote for the prOpositioH of my
| friend from New York. While 1 aCknowl-
| edge. and any man must acknowledge,
| the propriety of having what are called
| special agents TO investigate posteffices
| where letters have ben stolen or some
| thing of that kind has happened, 1 see no
reason why spies should be placed upon
| the heels of men whose honor has here
| tofore been Questioned.
| The Ietter-carrier with an honest record
| is entitled 10 the same treatment as the
| Postmaster General aud his assistants;
| but the Postmaster General aud his as
| Sistants. 1 regret to say, do not look upon
! it in that light. Here is special order:
That hereafter no postmaster postof-
| flee clerk. letter carrier, railway postal
clerk. or other postal emptaye shall visit
Washington whether on leave with or with
| out pay. for the purpose OF influencing leg
islation by Congress Any such employe
who violates this order is liable to re-
movaI."
POSTAL LOBBY ORDER
| THE poStoffice clerk or the letter car
rier ought TO be entitled to the same priv
| nege as the Postmaster General and his as
sistants. There is no man in this House
! who has been on committee OF the House
take any committee; I viii say the Army
Committee, or the Committee on Naval At
fairs who has not been importuned day
in and day out TO support some bill in
which either the army officer or the navy
| Officer was personally interested Why do
fyeu draw the line on the pCstoffice clerk
| and the carrier?''
Mr. Loud-Don't you think it is prac-
| tce that ought TO be stopped in all de-
partments of the government?
| Mr.. Cummings-I think that you ought
to begin at the head of the stream before
! you go to the bottom OF it, Don't pla 3
the wolf and the lamb, as you propose to
do in this case. Let Us apply it TO ali
alike, if you are going to apply it any
where. | say that tie postal clerk and
| the letter carrier ought To have the same
| facilities for reaching Congress that the
| heads of the departments have.