The Sunday globe., 1901-08-04
WHY HE RESIGNED
Mr.. A.W. Machsn's Resignation was
Demanded by Mr.. Heath
BECAUSE OF AN INVESTIGATION
BY Congress in which His BrOther-n-laW
was Found Guilty and Dismissed, and in
which He Had 10 Admit Appointing His
Own Brother 10 Office Under an Assumed
Name.

In last Sundays Globe we made this
statement and inquiry: "The resigna-
tion Of Mr.. Machen was demanded by
Mr.. Heath, rendered and accepted.
Why has this acceptance been with
drawn and Mr., Machen continued in
office?"
Mr.. A. W. Machen, as previously
stated in this paper, changed his po-
litical convictions, if he ever had any,
in the campaign of 1896, and became a
Gold Democrat. Why he did so is quite
evident to those who are familiar with
his conduct in the secret agency
fraud, under Cleveland's second ad-
ministration, when his scheme was de-
feated by act of Congress as well as
by an investigation of the L. S. Civil
Service Commission. The investiga.
ton of the Commission was held in
March or April, 1896, but the tesu-
mony in that case has never been dis
closed to the public. The findings Of
the Commission, Mr.. Matchen stated in
his evidence before the Senate Com
mittee. were referred to Postmaster
General Wilson, and by him the case
was sent to the Department of JUS
tice for an opinion from the Attorney
General. Fortunately for Mr.. Machen,
the Attorney-General JudsOn Harmon,
was an Ohio man, otherwise he might
have Jared no better than his man
Friday" ard brother-inlaw, VIM. NJ.
Bellman. who was dismissed from the
service, and for whose dismissal Mr..
Machen was wholly responsible. Mr.
n III 1. ,g,t
ploye in Government service 1mme-
diately after the election Of 1895, Mr.
Machen began to develop his plan Of
retention in Office, and through the as
sistance of a pair Of attorneys, who
had left their homes in aWestern State
years ago for the good of that State
formed the intimate acquaintance Of
Mr.. Abner Mckinley, who, it would
seem, was not reluctant to embrace the
opportunity afforded, if there was any
money in it for him. The Globe has
given this matter a thorough investi-
cation, and tCS stand on solid ground.
The acquaintanCeship Of these two con-
genial and enterprising gentlemen,
through the aforesaid legal talent, de-
veloped into a business venture, and
we now propose to disclose to the pub
lie the real and true cause Of Abner
McKinley's intercession for Mr.. Mach
ems retention in office. Mr. Heath may
have many sins Of omission and com
mission to answer for in the sweet
bye and bye, but the continuance of A.
w. MaChen in Office is not one Of them.
He positively had no alternatives;
either himself or Mr. Machen had to
quit the service as the combination
was too powerful to overcome. Mr..
Heath yielded, was obliged to yield, or
step down and out.
1t is well known that once in every
four years contracts are made with
outside parties by the Departments in
Washington to furnish certain sup
plies. Now, the free postal delivery
service is a very elastic institution; it
will hold an immeasurable quantity Of
plunder, for the simple reason that 1t
it co-extensive with the United States,
even embracing some of the islands Of
the sea- hence the plunder is generally
out of sight,
1t was i'm the winter of 1867 that
Abner and Machen conceived the pro
iect Of gobbling up the forthcoming
contract for letter boxes for the free
delivery service, the latter-named gen.
tleman being in the Department knew
and understood the ropes and what he
don't know about letter boxes isn't
worth knowing. 1t has been a mania
with him for years. His sweetest mid
night dreams are violently disturbed
by letter boxes. In Cleveland's second
administration, after Fridays" official
head was Topped off, he engaged that
fellow to tramp the streets of our big
cities, in storm and in sunshine can
vassing for the sale Of family letter
boxes. That scheme, like others before
it, fell into disfavor, and Mr.. Heath
abolished il very soon after he became
First Assistant Postmaster-General
In order to procure this four years
contract, It was necessary that they
should have a letter box somewhat diff
ferent from the Doremus patent then
in use; or, If possible, obtain that pa
tent from Mr., DOremus by making a
slight modification of his box. This
they succeeded i'm doing, and, If the
readers of The Globe will take the
trouble to examine the two boxes made
by the Corbin Cabinet Lock Co. and
the Reading Stove Works, they will
discover a little difference in two
places, where letters are dropped into
and taken out of the boxes. Having
secured the style of box wanted for the
service, they dropped their oars in the
boat, anchored, as they supposed, in a
secure place, and awaited the time for
the opening Of bids and letting of the
contract for street letter boxes But,
as BObbie Burns truly set forth In his
quaint, rhythmical aphorism, "The best
laid plans Of mice and men gang aft
aglee" Mr., Machen's prosperous
dreams were suddenly and rudely dis.
turbed by an investigation Of the Sen.
ate Committee on Civil Service, where
his proposed enterprise was exposed.
He was obliged to go before that com.
mittee and defend himself. How well
he succeeded in the effort the readers
Of The Globe know, as we printed sew.
eral columns of his evidence a few
Sundays ago. He simply made an
egregious ass of himself, for the rea.
son that he could not. or would not,
explain to the committee the nature
Of the conspiracy for which he had
three letter carriers dismissed from
the force in this city II will be re.
membered that he had to admit In
reply to a question asked by Senator
Pritchard, that VIM. A. Clarke was his
own brother appointed by him under
an assumed name. This admission
wrung from his manly brother great
beads OF cold sweat like Lima beans.
In less than "a hours after he left the
NNsmsa