The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-17
Late First Assistant Postmaster
General Chiefly Responsible.
SMITH NOT BLAMELESS
Knew What Was Going on and
Didn't Stop 1t.
Accused Can't Escape by Calling
Charges "Lies.''

the charges Of 5 W. Tulioch, eX-caSnler
of the Washington city postoffice, made
public, several ex-postoffice officials, as
well as present incumbents, are held re-
sponsible for the frauds and illegal ac-
lions of the postoffice department.
Chief among these are Perry s. Heath,
ex-assistant postmaster general; Chas.
Emory Smith, ex-postmaster general;
George W. Beavers, at one time head of
the salaries and allowance division of
the department; James p WIlet, late
postmaster of Washington; John A.
Merritt, his successor; Robert j. Trace
well, comptroller; Henry A. Castle, ex-
auditor, and several important clerks in
the Washington postoff1ce.
The report recommends that thor
ough investigation be made of the adj
Eninistration of the Washington and
New York postof1ces and of the office
of the first assistant postmaster general
within the past three years. 1t is sug-
Rested that a small commission be APP
pointed by the president to formulate
plan to remove all political influence
in the postoffice department. The fourth
assistant postmaster general, Mr.. BrlS-
tow, is complimented for his work.
Under instructions from the president
the report views the Tulloch charges
from a legal standpoint" The report
begins with a brief history and nature
Of the Tulloch charges. and then makes
the following preliminary obSerVa-
tions'' concerning them:
mo improper official act on the part
of any public officer or emplOye is al
legged which did not occur more than
three years before July II, 1903 and as
all possible prosecutions are barred we
are led therefore to interpret our in
structionS to report on these matters
from a legal standpoint in broader
sense than we might otherwise venture
to ascribe to them. and understand
that our views are desired as to the
legal Dropriety of the official action dis
closed and not merely whether it may
or NAV not have been criminal. The
sTulloch charges have never been.
properly speaking, investigated at all.
We have been repeatedly confronted in
our inquiry with an assertion on the
one side and denial on the other as to
a question of fact, with no sufficient
means at our command to determine
which statement we could advise you
to believe.
'Tne tendency to evade answering
these charges evinced by those reply
ing to the postmaster generals request
for such answers" the report saws, sis
illustrated very forcibly by the charges
against Perry S. Heath, ex-assistant
postmaster general which have been
heretofore made public and his answers
to them. We consider this answer" it
continues, altogether insufficient and
no less unsatisfactory in substance
than In form"
Continuing the report says the re-
vision of Postmaster Willets accounts
of itself is sufficient to show that Mr..
Heath's official record is not so clear
as to defy suspicion. 1t adds: More
over the confidential report of the in
spector in charge, Mr.. Smith, and the
special report of Inspector Little tend
so strongly to sustain some of the
gravest charges made by Mr.. Tulloch
against Mr.. Heath and 1t is quite i'm
possible to dispose of those charges by
calling them lies out of the whole
CLOTH especially when we remember
that the confidential report is stated
N1-~ I've
lartt1es discovered by himself, and that
the special report was prepared
Offices.
THE reasonable inference to be
drawn from Mr.. HeatE's complete fail
ure TO meet fully and explicitly accusa-
lions which, as the postmaster general.
Mr. Payne. very justly admonished him.
charged him with many acts of doubt
1ul propriety, added to the facts ap-
pearing from the record evidence laid
before US, oblige US to say that at least
a strong prina facie case is presented
OF Wilful and reckless disregard by the
late first assistant postmaster general
Of obligations imposed on him by the
regulations of his own department, as
Well as by the statutes of the United
States, and we feel it our duty to add
that suspicion of his personal integrity
must be inevitably aroused in our judg-
ment by an impartial consideration Of
the facts submitted to US and of his
plainly inadequate explanations
The report takes up in detail the
charges of improper appointments of
subordinates and improper disburse-
ments of public funds. as contained in
the Tulloch charges, and after analysis
concludes:
so far as indicated by the paper
submitted to us the persons directly
responsible for these fraudulent employ
ments were Perry S. Heath and George
w. Beavers, neither of whom is now in
the public service. It seems clear, how
ever, that this responsibility extends
IN some measure, to the late postmaster
general who appears to have at least
tolerated the practice after notice of its
existence, and to the late and the
present postmasters in Washington,
each of whom appears to have accepted
the transfer to his Office of a number
Of persons thus employed without. 50
far as is shown. any protest or expos
ure, facts substantially admitted as to
himself in Mr.. Merritt's letter of June
20"
The improper disbursement Of public
funds receives considerable space in
the reDort and in this connection Mr..
Conrad and MIR. BonaDarte go some
what outside of the Tulloch charges and
comment on a special report under
date of Nav Is by Inspector Crowell,
which relates how George w Beavers
received s, las for expenses in assist
Ing special attorneys in the court of
claims"
1t Is told through review of a state
nent on the subject by Auditor Castle
mat Mr. Beavers had been promised a
raise in salary as head of the salary
and allowance division, and that Post
master VanCott in New York was in
structed by letter signed by the act
ing First Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral, George NJ. Allen, the letter being
countersigned IA w NJ" to nav To
Mr.. Beavers an allowance of 81 a day
from July 1, 1888. When the inspector
n 7af
stated had been paid, the explanation
referred to by Mr.. Castle was made
and the payment Immediately stopped
Touching the administration of ex-Aud-
itor Castle, the report says: I'VE might
give further Illustration of the auditor
apparent readiness to disregard the usual
safeguards against unauthorized expentli-
lures, but this is needless because tbs
same, in our judgment, regrettable dispo-
ef7r ",