The Sunday globe., 1901-07-14
THE SPY SYSTEM.
And A. W. Machin, Superintendent
of Free Delivery.
A NASTY CHAPTER OF LOOTING
In which MaOhns BrOther-n-laW Comes 10
Grief but Himself Swms AShOre-The
Infamous Spy System on Letter Carriers and
The LoogRg Of the Public Treasuu-SsIt-
Sacrificing and Honest Men Dismissed.

me LOORNg Ol Inc PuDUO lIbdSuII obH-
Sacrificing and Honest Men Dismissed
Mr.. A. w. Machen, superintendent of
the Free Delivery System, is a Napo-
leon in the genius of his schemes to
decrease the surplus in the Treasury
Mr.. Machen, since his debut as As
sistant p. NJ, to his uncle in Toledo,
o., a few years ago, has developed those
wonderful faculties which has brought
him conspicuously before the public,
and incidentally before the 54th Con-
gress, where, as a matter of record, he
will ego laundering down the ages as
the gigantic schemeH Of the Postmas'
ter Generals Department. Mr., Machen
is truly loyal to his relatives, which
is a redeeming feature in a character
not otherwise lovely, from the tax.
payers point Of view. Besides securing
a position for a brother under a cloud
in Toledo at the time, he boosted
NJ. Bellman, into the chieftainship Of
the celebrt ted spy system aired by
Congress TO the discontinue Of the
said chief; but, strange to state, Ma
chen himself rode the storm through
and through; badly battered and al
most a total wreck, he made port, and
anchored in safety in the Harbor Of
the Free Delivery Division of the
Postofice, of which he is the undis-
puted "it,"
The spy system established, and
which got such an airing in Congress,
consisted of a body of irresponsible
strikers put in the field under the COM
mand of Machen's bTother-in-law to
watch the letter carriers. Columbus,
O.. was first experimental on, and the
writer recalls the indignation of the
citizens of the Buckeye capital when
the infamous system was exposed.
The spies numbered all told fifty
nine Machen tools, at s. per diem and
with brother-in-law Bellman at IS per
diem, made an even three score of as
accomplished pirates as ever scuttled
ship or cut a throat.
Cutting throats was, allegorically
their business-that is to say they
sneaked and skunk after the bonded
and responsible letter carriers and
reported every action, word or deed
of those faithful and hard-worked ser.
wants of Uncle Sam. Brother-in-laW
Bellman was high priest in the field
and Machen manipulated the wires
from Washington. 1t was altogether
a glorious steal and a roaring farce, by
which sixty political thugs fleeced the
Government out of handsome salaries
fo,. tba r,ngt appcryor,ota et,,pf1 Ivr 1,-
ing rascality ever presented before a
Congressional Committee Of the
Whole.
These secret agents" as they
were called never took an oath of Of
fee, and We're as irresponsible as a
Chinese Boxer to the civilized powers
for the massacre of our missionaries.
By the efforts of few self-sacrific
| ing souls, Machen and his gang were
brought up standing, and, as stated
! fully exposed in the 54th Congress
These gentlemen were letter carriers
Hill, Sullivan and Beight, Of this city
OF course Machen had them fired,
but not before the scalp of his brother
in-law Bellman, the sub-head centre
Of the spy brigade, dangled at their
belts where Machen's also ought to
hang, cured and dried, but for the su
perb generalship and genius of the
man himself.
The Free Delivery appropriation, as
it passed the Congress, thanks to Hill
Sullivan and Beights exposure, was
cut down $4,000, and 100000 was
Topped off for postofiice inspectors
Thus these three men, at the sacrifice
Of their positions, saved the taxpayers
$172OO0, and, more than even this sum,
made a full expose of the rotten spy
system, a disgrace to even a semi-civ-
ilized country emerging from barbar-
ism.
OF course Machen had his cham
pions on the floor of the House. and
the most blantant of these was a mem.
Der appropriately named Loud. Loud
mouthed he was, and for good cause,
for be it known that Machen had
placed numbers of strikers in this spy
snap who were recommended by his
Congressman champions.
This mm Loud loudly charged that
these men" (meaning Hill, Sullivan
and Beight), have had plenty Of time
to bring their case before Congress.
They have allowed a year and a half
to go over"
The mendacity of this statement
will be fully realized when it is stated
that the men were discharged only
three months previously, and, OF course
had no time to bring their case fully
before the House
When Machen was interrogated as
to the cause Of the mems discharge
from the public service, he hid behind
the ambiguous assertion, conspiracy" :"
consisting mainly in bringing his bro
therin.law's official head to the block
and the busting of the spy system.
Machen knows where the real "con.
spiracy' was, and also its chief and
directing genius.
ITO belittle the Postofice Depart.
msnt and bring its officials into disre-
pute," was Machen's bill Of indict-
ment against the discharged men.
"To having successfully exposed Bell
man and the spy system, and to have
shown that Machen was unht to hold
the position he occupied" was the in.
dictment and verdict Of the public.
But as stated, Machens pull" and
genius carried him through. even
though his feathers were trimmed. and
the opportunities more or less linn
tied for his amassing of sudden wealth
at the public's expense.
Here Is the proper place, The Globe
believes, to introduce the letter and in
dlctment against Naehen and his