Evening star., 1903-10-19
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Trouble Over the Bonaparte-
Conrad Report.
A TRACEWELL RUMOR
HIS DISMISSAL SUGGESTED FOR
PASSING CERTAIN ACCOUNTS.
Secretary Shaw and Postmaster GEN
eral Payne Both Object to Such Ac-
ton and Defend the Controller.
A TRACEW ELL RUMOR

If President Roosevelt follows the report
of Charles J. Bonaparte and Holmes Con-
rad he will be compelled to seriously con-
| slider the advisability of d!smssing r. j.
| Tracewell, controller of the treasury, be-
cause of alleged derelction of duty III pass
| ing postal accounts in 1899 that have fig
ured in the recent Investigation of the
Post Office Department. Former Cashier
! Tuloch of the Washington post office, who
! knew something Of the accounts that were
passed, charged Controller Tracewell six
or seven months ago with passing accounts
! that ought to have been turned down. The
opposing contentious OF Mr.. Tulloch and of
Mr.. Tracewel on this subject pretty
well known.
| BY order of the President Messrs Pona-
parte and Conrad, when they We're
| ployed az special counsel for the govern
ment in the post Office cases. We're assigned
| to investigate the Tuiloch charges. 1t is
| the understanding that their report to the
| President severely criticised Controller
| Tracewell for passing accounts that he mad
| originally held up. These accounts had
| previously been passed by Auditor Castle.
| but Controller Tracewe1 held them UP for
| investigation and put a number of experts
to work looking into them. As a result of
! this examination total of about SI.o.0 of
| the accounts was dis sll!owed by Controller
Tracewel and the others passed. At the
same time Mr.. Tracewell gave a warning
/ to post office officials that their accounts
Were not being kept as he would prefer, and
| that there must be some changes.
Just how severe the HonaDarte and Con-
! rad report is it appears not to he thorough-
| ly known outside OF official circles The
report. it is understood. has been passed
| around among few cabinet officials, but
| has largely been confined to Postmaster
| General Payne and Secretary Shaw. They
| have glanced over it with care. AS re-
| suit of their perusal it is said that both are
| displeased with the tone OF the report and
feel that mistake was made in going out
side of government circles in seeking men
| TO handle phases of the post Office stua-
| ton At the same time President Roose-
| welt is confronted by the question of wheth-
! er lie shall stand literally by the report or
/ whether he shall accept the views of some
of his cabinet officials. most of whom
familiar with the history of the post office
| investigation. Should he accept the view of
| cabinet members the President will not dis
| turb Controller Tracewell.
Secretary Shaw May Resign.
| Secretary Shaw and Postmaster General
Payne are both understood to have looked
| carefully into Controller Tracewelrs con-
| nection with the accounts and are satisfied
that Mr.. Tracewell made an effort to do
| what was proper and. so far as lay in his
| view at the time did do what was proper.
| Whether he made a mistake in passing a
| few accounts they do not say. but Secre-
| tary Shaw is understood 10 have told the
| tESSluenC IilaC ms connection with Con-
| troller Tracewel had given him every as
| surance of the complete honesty, judicial
| ability and fitness of the occupant of :he
| office Of controller and that he would stand
/ by him.
Rumors have gone far as to declare
| that Secretary Shaw solemrly assured the
President that if Controller TraceweN
should be forced to resign he would un-
| hesitatingly do likewise, believing that
| Messrs. BonaDarte and Conrad were err
| roneous in their conclusions, and that the
had ,,,I, t1l,t
| the opinions of lis cabinet officers as he
did those OF special employees.
In case the matter should come 10 an
issue the friends Of Controller TraceweI
are getting ready to make a fight. HIS
Indiana friends especially declare they viii
! stand by him, and are beginning to resent
the verdict of the special co.mittee. Thus
| the situation stands. Secretary Shaw is
cut west making campaign speeches. and
| Will not be back in Washington until after
! the election. Controller Tracewell is say
| ing nothing. but keeps in touch with his
! friends, indignant that an attempt has
! bee made to draw him into the post office
| scandals. From Indiana his friends are
sending him word that they VIII uphold his
| official career in Washington. Mr. Trace
well is Il powerful man politically in Indt
ana. He was formerly ii member of Con-
gIess from Mr.. Hemenway's district, and
he and Mr.. Hemenway are close personal
friends. Many of Mr. Tracewelrs friends
have in the last few months tried to bring
him forward as republican candidate for
governor of Indiana. and would insist upon
his being brought out should he be turned
down here. ii is SAID.
Will Stand by Traceweu.
An inside view OF the Presidents thought
on the matter. as learned today is that
after a careful consideration of all sides of
the affair the President sees nothing to
cause him to desire the removal of Mr..
Tracewel. The President, il is said, is will
ing to accept Secretary Shaw's valua ton OF
Mr. 10 xs5ali nd --arg girf TO Z ae6-
cial integrity of that official, and to look
upon the Bonap2rte-co1rad report not
possessing sufficient condemnation to jusu-
fy severe action in Eir. Tracewel1s case.
Whether there will be later developments
cannot be learned but it is thought to be
nearly certain that the President will ac-
cept Secretary Shaws estimate of Mr..
Tracewel
It is denied ON the best of authority that
the President and Secretary Shaw have had
any differences this question that Sec
retary Shaw has threatened TO resign If Mr..
TracexeIl is forced to surrender his place.
The Case of Marshal Field.
Senator Proctor CT Vermont saw the
President today. The President has con-
sented to give hearing to the appeal OF
Fred. Field. who was summarily dismissed
a few days ago from his position of mar
! shall of Vermont because three Cinnamon,
| who were in his custody, escaped and have
not been recaptured. Senator Dillingham;
| Is CO.nlnS OH mere 10 iDiii StHdtof TIoStoT
in presenting the matter to the President
! and the Department OF Justice, and to-
gether they will make every effort to have
Marshal Field proven innocent of even
carelessness and to have him restored to
his position
Senator Proctor has urged the President
TO place ex-Ciov. Savers of Texas the
interoceanic canal commission, whenever
one is appointed. Senator Proctor and Gov.
Sasers were friends when the latter was
in Congress years ago. and Senator Proc
tor thinks better selection for the COM
mission could be made.
The Illinois Political Situation.
r. w. Patterson, editor of the Chicago
Tribune. who is on his way to Europe to
JOIN his family, had interview with the
President this morning The President
asked and obtained the views of Mr.. Pat
terson on the political outlook in Illinois.
Every republican in the state is for the
nomination and election Of President Rooss-