The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-20

Everyone who had business with him was compelled TO
send in card and it for reason whatever Koot did
not them he did not see them Notwithstanding
fact that the business of them might have been
OF the most important nature Congressman grew
tired of this Of thing and strenuous protest went
up from them AS result the practice of locking the doors
discontinued The members of congress who mad been
nubbed paced however and there reason to
believe that their personal feeling against the ordy secre
tary having something do with the manner in
which all of the secrcar pet schemes are being opposed
particularly side In other words the mem
bers of ignoring the secretary as he was
ignore His army reorganization bill will
believed never be favoraby reported by the senate
committee on military affairs, which committee also
holding the several hundred brevet nominations made by
the president weeks The members of the COM
mttee hold that is clearly for the president to
make such appointments in time of peace and have given
president and the secretary understand that this is
the The latter is said will undertake to show them
that they are mistaken.
When it is considered that Root had had any
connection with military affairs being raised his
present place by President Mckinley his presumptuousnes
in attempting dictate who older than he |
and who have been familiar with such matters for will
be readily apparent
The secretary may win along the lines he is pursuing
present but the impression is most decidedly that he
will not.
An interesting fact in connection with the scandals in
the transport service recently unearthed through the medium
resolution presented by Representative K1cnddSon OF
Tennessee, has just light 1t is that clerk in the
quartermastes department discovered brought to the
attention of his uperor two three years ago the very
Irregularities which the department now so reluc
family confessed congress He told mind his own
business and that in of emergency it was necessary
for the department wink at such things" the such
things in this being the gross frauds and gigantic
steals pepeated the by those charge of
the transport service.
The clerk John Cole who appointed from Ohio
AZ the f,raal ,Ft 81 c.. L.
water transportation division OF the quarternasers depart
ment and the rottenness San Francisco soon became
apparent to him in the of his daily work He called
the discrepancies to the attention of Chief Clerk Randolph
who replied to him as above quoted. Cole thinking that
Randolph tor other did not appreciate the
gravity of the still higher official There
was no result in the direction expected by Cole but within
short time attrz his disclosures matters were made so
unpleasant for him that he compelled to ask TO be
transferred another division The transfer was made
but Cole was not allowed to remain in his new division
for more than few days. Suddenly without any reason
being given at the time he informed his services
were no longer needed and his was dropped from
the rolls
os case was called to the attention of Senator Mason
OF illinois who went to Chief Quartermaser Ludineton and
asked HIM why the clerk had been DISCHARGED Iudiroor
Saa was on account Of the aters bad habits It is in
efesus 70 note N this connection that civilian clerk who
Is removed because he not popular with military SUI
perior' is always given bad character in this yav 81
lar as the records there is absolutely nothing 70 sb
mat Coles habits were anything but the most exemplary
character. 'P''
=
The reports and other documents which Secretary po.
has reluctantly placed tine disposal of congress b L
ole was right in his suspicious regarding the conduct Of
the transport service and surely no one will saw , he n
was NOT acting entirely within the bounds OF propet and
lWy IN bringing these suspicious and the grounds f ~ p
TO- The attention of his superors. Yet for this very bi II
ms character was bcsmrched his important 7e,,. ~ ~
'd ana he was finally discharged from the employ Of M
government ''9S VI '"e
Is an impression IN some quarters that the war
department. would never have made the transport eio
sports Puonc had 1t not been for the knowledge that Cole
Vas IN possession of many important facts regsrdir 49, RI
e' ana mat his testimony might prove embarrassing f -
0".e OF the officials of the department OF course ti NJ
might stun prove somewhat embarrassing even &C
"ouS' inc reports in full have been given to tb ,ii
'ut the department evidently thinks that il hoe to
'SeH pretty etecually and besides no one e ~ ~
ono" anything OF Coles present whereabouts P+ t .,
mugs 'nat Inc former clerk discovered are known and - nc
'"at feature viii he made Of them during the
e''Bauon OF the whole matter which ACCORDING 70 h
resent status OF the case seems likely n occ " ' W
ne quarermaser in charge Of the transno,t ; . Of
, ''''''''o during the war Major Oscar p ono de
'ne course OF the performance OF his regular duties e
; '1a' long was making purchases amounting 10 tn
o dollars without advertising for COMPETITIVE b5 wi
ASKING ior competition in any way Pronerty . ii
uLun6 10 hundreds OF thousands were held ~, =; -, 81
pronerty bet" no attention being paid to loss th
S,on ,oie called attention the fact that one &C arr
Gnmen OF army blankets had dannesrad aTee con wi
aGSferred from quartermaser TO whe being do
e 'O i4F ms pans and told that the accon a
is business gn % over year and that it was none Of
o deR nS R2 was probably directly responsible for an
aster general in which he asserted that me quarter &c
punt of Her i o tne positions they occupied on on
l,a % me chafgethat no investigation aenon was SUI
qurd Now br ".u mat has services were no longer WI
a. uep't,nent admits by sending in the 1e lrn'e the Lu