Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-05
Democrats Not Likely to Profit
by Discovery of Postal De-
partment Corruption
ROOSEVELT is IN EARNEST
The RascaIs Will Be Turned Out as
Effectively, and More So, Than Would
Result from a Change in Administra-
tion-lnvestiaation of Printing Office
to Begin.

washington, u. ", Aug. O.---beePiS
as they regret the discovery that COR
ruption exists in the executive depart
ments in Washington, republicans here.
and probably thruout the country, are
rejoiced that, President Roosevelt has
had the courage to probe to the bottom
one government department and now
contemplates the thorough investiga-
ton Of another. There is in some guar.
ters an impression that the control Of
the reins of government by one of the
great parties, beyond a limited time,
inevitably results in dishonest admin
when the democrats gained national
victory with the slogan Turn the ras-
Gals out" That they might have done
so again had there been any lack OF
earnestness on the part of the president
in investigating the postoffice depart
ment is admitted by the wiser repub-
lican politicians. but it is appreciated
now, even by the democrats, that Mr..
Roosevelt has effectually spiked any
democratic guns which may have been
loaded with charges of corruption by
inaugurating thorough investigation
of the postottice department and by
preparing for top to bottom lnspec-
ton Of the government printing Of
fee
1t was not with the expectation OF
finding dishonest methods that Presi-
dent Roosevelt determined to institute
an investigation of the methods IN
vogue in the printing Office, but with
a view to ascertaining why it was that
the cost of printing and binding per-
formed by the public printer should
SO greatly exceed the cost of the same
work performed by private institu-
tons. Since, however, an investiga-
tionhas been determined upon, there
have been a number of charges that
there are serious leaks in the admin
istrative methods. A rule of the book
binders union which limited the daily
task Of all its members first called
the attention of the president to the
extravagant conduct OF the government
printing establishment and 1t is PROB
able that to that rule he charged much
of the increased cost of the federal
printing and binding but, to the sur
prise Of many, the officers OF the book
binders union announce that they VIII
welcome an investigation as 1t VIII re-
veal the real leak and relieve their
union from the odium of an unjust sus-
picion. While there will doubtless be
many unfounded rumors of corruption
in the printing office from now on, no
one who has witnessed the thorough
methods and the courageous spirit
which have characterized the investi-
cation Of the postoffice department viii
for a moment believe that the president
will be satisfied with any superficial
investigation" and the general public
will rest assured that, when Secretary
Cortelyou, who by his high probity ana
businesslike methods has already won
the respect of the public and to whom
the conduct of the investigation Will
be confided, has completed his exam
ination Of the government printing Of
flee, he will have left unturned no stone
nor permitted to escape his attention
any improper transaction. In the
words Of prominent democratic mem
Der of congress, now in Washington,
president Roosevelt is stealing our
thunder. He is turning his own ras-
Gals out"
The president and Secretary Root
have received another appeal from the
Manila chamber Of commerce for free
trade between the Philippines and the
United States. So insistent are the
Filipinos becoming in their demands
for free trade and SO logical is their ar
gument, based on the example of Porto
Rico which has prospered so extern
sively since free trade was granted the
island, that it is deemed likely that tn
effort to suspend the tariff on Philip
pine imports will be renewed during
| the coming session of congress Sen
ator Lodge and Senator Foraker are
both enthusiastic in favor of such a
move and, in fact, it was only the op :
position Of the democratic senators
from Colorado which prevented far
greater reduction Of the tariff on Phil
| innine goods at the last session.