The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-12-04

isAsd - the limh Of the law. n FUR.
suance OF this policy the individualr
enumerated have besn indicted.
I'm no case has the indictment Leeu
sought save where the officials of the
government were convinced Of the
mans guilt: and In every case the gov
eminent will exhaust every expedient in
its power In the effort 10 see that JUS
tice Is melted out To the offenders
Those in the public service whose
duty II Is must ever be vigilant in the
detection OF wrongdoing. fearless In its
exposure. relentless In its prosecution.
but In the last resort. when everything
which the public Official. whether legis-
lator. judge. or executive officer. can
do has been done. II remains for the
jury. drawn from the people and repre-
senting the people. 10 do handed
justice. shielding the innocent. but de-
Ginning To be misled by any plea into
refraining from punishment of the
guilty.
| The report Of Fourth Assistant Bris-
tow Is a most exhaustive document,
showing the work of investigation by
divisions. explaining frauds In detail.
and the action taken in connection with
the guilty ones. His reference TO Ex-
First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath is brief throughout the report
the most important allegation being
that he received $4,000 in stock from
the company manufacturing the Dore-
mus canceling machine in considera-
ton OF receiving an order for less than
800 machines. This Heath denied. and
the district attorney decided that there
was not evidence enough TO warrant
the indictment OF Heath. In conclu-
sion. Mr. Dristow says:
Bristow's Report.
More than forty inspectors have
been employed upon this work. some OF
The IN continuously every day since the
ia sestigation began. The records or
900 post offices have been examined.
ard the files Of many divisions Of the
department. covering a period of from
six TO ten years, scrutinized.
1.-THE system Of organized corruption
that has been disclosed began in 1898.
ard Continued until stopped by this
investigation. The amount Of money
secured by the corrupt officials and
their confederates is small as compared
to the total loss 10 the government. To
illustrate: There is no evidence that
Louis received any compensation from
Ault & Wiborg. yet during the first
year Of his administrs tior the ex-
e. fv1~ fv,r-
over $4,000.
1T does not appear that Kempner re-
ceived money from the manifold COM
pany. yet the cost of manifold supplies
increased more than $4,000 year
Barrett received but $4,000 from
Arnold. yet that company defrauded
he people out OF over 100000
"Machen probably did not receive
more than $4,000 from the Groff fast
ener Yet the government has paid APP
proximately $4,000 for that device,
which represents a net loss. since the
department continued. by the terms OF
the contract for letter box =. 10 pay
for the original fasteners.
beavers and his associates received
less than $4,000 from the automatic
cashier Yet the department expended
s.-2-5 for this wholly unnecessary
machine
The total amount that the peTpe-
traitors OF these frauds themselves re-
ceived can not he definitely learned.
but IL will aggregate between 100000
and $500. 900. while the loss TO the gov
eminent. considering the unnecessary
supplies that have been purchased and
the inferior quality OF those furnished
by fraudulent contractors, can not be
estimated with any degree Of accuracy.
AS the gross abuses have been
brought TO light they have been
promptly corrected by the proper de-
partmental officers. Contracts where
fraud has been discovered have been
four officers and emplc-es IF the de-
partment have resigned and thirteen
have been removed. Forty-folr indict-
ments have been found. involving
thirty-one persons. ten Of whom have
been connected with the postal service
Attached 10 this report is list Of those
who have been separated from the
service by resignation and removal: al
so a complete list Of the indictments
and the persons involved.
"A number Of changes should be
made in the organization OF the depart
ment, in order TO provide a more per-
feet check on the operations OF various
divisions. and some restrictive legisla-
lion affecting the divisions of salaries
allowance, Of rural free delivery. and
possibly others may be necessary.
What the service most needs. however,
IS honest. intelligent and vigorous adj
The corruption disclosed
IS not due TO lax laws, but to the dis
honesty Of those who have been
charged with the responsibility OF adj
ninistering them