Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-12-09
THE sRIsToW REPORT.

Those interested In government af-
fairs will read with interest the very
lengthy summary of Mr.. Bristow's re-
port on the postoffice frauds. made
public today. They will read with ev-
en- more interest the presidents COM
ment on the report. The subject mat.
ter of both report and comment has
been thoroughly threshed oyer in the
newspapers and there is not much to
be said about the frauds that has not
already been said. Ii is dishearten-
ing to the patriotic citizen to see how
corrupt public emplyes can become
corrupt not only to their own benefit
but to the great injury of the people.
Until these postoffice frauds came
out the honest people of this country
had believed that however corrupt
city and state officials might be, the
great sin of the day-graft-had not
fastened itself upon the federal gov.
eminent. The discoveries that have
been made arouse the fear and sus-
picion that other departments of the
federal government may be rotten,
and that. after all. graft has corroded
the fabric of national government
quite as much as it has municipal,
II such be the case. we can only
hope that all the rascals will be even.
tually found out and punished. and
that the work of experimenting them
will be as thorough as il has been
under Bristow in the postoffice de-
partment. Rascals in other depart.
ments, if such there be. will doubtless
take warning from the disgrace and
humiliation that has overtaken Mach.
en and Beavers and others who have
thought themselves fully defended
from detection and secure in the en-
joyment OF graft.
The rascals will find no words of
consolation or encouragement in the
presidents remarks. The gist of them
is that every guilty man must be pun.
ished aud that neither political fear
nor favor will stand between justice
and the offenders.
There are no notes of extenuation,
excuse or explanation in what the
president says. Great ~offenses against
the state have been revealed. and the
offenders must be punished, let the ak
fall where il will. These frauds mean
trouble for the president. Most of the
offenders are politicians with infuen,
tial connections. These will all be lin,
ed up nov with the presidents oppo
nents within his party. The Demo
Gratis, moreover, will construe the
frauds as an indictment against the
Republican administration of the gov
eminent.
We think, however, that in the end
this unpleasant affair will make the
president more friends than enemies
1t has given him one more opportun
ity TO show to the country of what
sturdy stun he Is made. II shows him
as far more than a politician in the
presidents chair. The politician
would have hushed up the postoffice
scandals and contented himself with
telling the rascals to be good. But
President Roosevelt has taken Q
course which has brought the scan
dals into a lime light of publicity. He
has publicly admitted their gravity
The people like a frank man. They
VIII not be- tempted to dispense with
the presidents services for another
term because he has been guilty OF
cleaning ont a government depart
ment They prefer the cleaning. even
with some malodorous accompani
ments, to corruption concealed by q
policy OF hushing up for the sake OF
the party Minneapolis Journal.