The Sunday globe., 1901-06-30
AFTER Mr.. MACHEN
Rural Free Delivery Type-Writing
"GirlS."
A WELL POSTED HISTORIAN
Tells the Public Some Inside Facts on the
Present Superintendent of the Free De-
livery, His Pals and the Methods by which
Civil Service is Beaten and Snug Fortunes
are Accumuated-A meaty Interview

Civil Service is Beaten and Snug Fortunes
are Accumulated-A neaty Interview
q see you are hot on Superintend-
ent Machen's trial. and an old-time
letter carrier to a reporter Of The
Globe, yesterday, Keep after him, and
you'll edify your readers, | should
think from your point OIL view the
Free Delivery and Rural Free Delivery
Systems are gushers. But Machen is
unniIg. i he uail is oily, He has
baffled attempts at exposure before.
He prevented a Congressional inyesti-
cation into his methods in the early
part Of 1885,
Tell The Globe what you know"
Eyes, I'll tell you what [ remember
about that investigation, In the early
part of 1895 the letter carriers of the
country were pestered by a horde OF
spies sent from Washington to keep
tab on them. They were under contcol
Of w. NJ. Bellman, a crony Of Machen's
from Toledo. Both resembled the
Hawkshaws pictured in the detective
stories. The spies were called special
agents" They invaded a city without
reporting to the postmaster. They dis
covered" all sorts of charges against
letter carriers whose fates were gener-
ally decided by Bellman and one Of the
Machen's $1,000 lady typewriters A
letter carrier would be recommended
for removal by Bellman, who, to dull
his conscience Cd would then inter
view his private stock a bottle Of
which he kept handy in his desk. He
must have the inspiration" at hand.
He needed it in his business. No,
don't know where BellmGn is now. |
can find out, though. ICs safe to wa
ger that he is being well taken care Of.
\, ell, Congress got after the P, o. d.
for the illegal appointment of them
spies. They had never been provided
for by law. The press of the country
was opposed to the system. First AS
sistant Postmaster-General Jones was
the real head of the p. o. d. in them
days. Postmaster General Wilson was
new to the business, and Jones and
Machen did as they pleased, Three Of
their clerks for telling tales out or
school about the spy system were
summarily dismissed from the service
by Jones. The discharged clerks gave
evidence before a subcommittee OF
three of the House Committe. on Post
Offices and Post-Roads that, while it
hurt Machen's feelings, it did not pro-
cure special committee investigation.
Investigations local to Washington
were not popular with Congressman.
They preferred something with sum-
mer jaunt, and railroads, and hotels,
etc. The new Congress will not ig-
more our new possessions.
But l am getting away from Ma
chen. Just now he is exploiting the
Rural Free Delivery. It's the richest
thing that ever came his way. Better
than gold mine or an oil strike. He'll
work it for all it's worth, The last
Congress increased the appropriation
for this service s3,500000, That's
available July 1.
Headquarters have been rented in
the Star building, Branch headquar-
ers will be established in different
parts of the country. In the supervis-
ing force hundreds of fat jobs will be
parceled out, while the rural carrier
will get only five hundred a year, the
supervising force will receive good
salaries. Machen believes everything
should be purchas ased or performed by
contract. 1t was him who caused con-
tracts for making letter carriers uni
forms to be given to two contractors
one in Cincinnati, the other in Balti-
more. The inside history Of the begin
ming of that scheme would make inter
esting reading. We used to have our
uniforms made at home mean the
carriers throughout the country pa
tronized a home tailor Everybody
was satisfied. But there are pickings
in contracts, and Machen is a gold
expansion Mark.H Democrat"
"Why do you catalogue him thusly?"
asked the reporter.
why? He came from Toledo as a
real Democrat The late Senator
Brice was behind him. Then there
were certain people in Toledo who
we're after him-hot, for various rea-
sons. He convinced himself that
Washington's climate was cooler for
him than Toledos He has brought a
lot of old chums and nearly ali his
relatives to the Government work
shop. Charles E. and Frank S Mach
en- were spies until Congress killed the
spy business They are brothers of
Gus The Machens and their relatives
are in different Departments 1t looks
better to be scattered. But you'll find
nepotism with a capital y in cunning
for Machen."
"Why didn't Congress order an in
vestigation after the revelations Of the
three removed clerks?' asked the re-
porter.
Il thought | limited at an explana.
tiOn Of that. Well, the resolution call
ing for a special committee to inyesti-
gate Mr.. Machen's Office and the spy
business, was referred to the p. o.
Committee Of the House. and by the
committee to a sub-com mittee of
three. Any one acquainted with that
subcommittee need not be told why
the resolution was adversely reported.
Their "pickings' in the p o. d. were
KIN r. One of them didn't depend
on his salary as a Congressman; he
"swlped" $40 from his clerks salary
of 800. His stationery and postage
allowance also helped swer. his bank
account
The man our letter carrier friend
had in mind poses as reformer and
economist Next to Talbert, of South
Carolina. he is the most persistent and
inconsistent pension bill Objector Con
gress has known for years, and per-
| haps the most unpopular member Of
the last Congress, The Globe Is dig
ging up his record, and may find
space for a diagnosis or him in an
early issue
what about Hanna and Machen?"
asked The Globe man.
"Oh, yes, you see my story is Of the
rambling kind. But / can do better
next time | see you, In the meantime
! I'll refresh my memory as TO a few
| points by reference to some public
documents | have, and otherwise. So
long! Say keep your eye peeled