The Elk Mountain pilot., 1903-12-08
EVENTS IN WASHINGTON AND
TRANSACTIONS OF CONGRESS-
Three Chief Offenders.

frauds, President Roosevelt says that
the three chief offenders in the govern
ment service were James M. Tyner, as
sistant attorney general for the PoSt-
Office Department; A. w. Machen, gen.
eral superintendent of the free delivery
system, and George w. Beavers. gen.
eral superintendent of salaries and al
lowances. He goes on to say:
The friends of Tyner have ad-
vanced the theory that in his case the
chief offender was really his nephew by
marriage. Barrett, who was his assist
ant in the office for part of the time,
and that Tyner's offenses are due 70 his
falling bodily and mental powers. The
facts set forth in Mr.. Bristow'S report
do not tend to substantiate the validity
of these excuses for Tyner, while they
show literally astounding misconduct
in Barrett. For Machen and Beavers
no excuse of any kind has been alleged.
In the case of Metcalf, the superinten-
dent of the money-order 7fsrem- the
most vigorous protests nere at hrst
made on his behalf by large num-
Der of reputable citizens, and also by
others who were at the time deemed
reputable. but who 1t has since been
discovered were profiting by Metcalfs
misconduct One of them has been in
dicted in connection with him. When
these Investigations were begun, some
nine months ago. many OF the chlel
offenders who have been indicted or
dismissed, or both, as above enumer-
ated, were considered to have excel
lent regulations. A number of the
most respectable people in the land Of
fered voluntary testimony on behalf OF
Mr. Tyner. So highly were Messrs.
Beavers and Machen thought of by
those who had been brought into close
connection with them that the Con-
gress actually provided at its last ses-
sion fer raising the salaries of both,
the salary in each case being increased
$500. TO take effect at the beginning or
the fiscal year on July 1st last
Bat that date they were both out OF
Office. and the department of justice
was taking steps to have them indict-
ed. During Machen's term of service
he was twice investigated by the Con-
gress, once by committee of the Sen
ate and once by a committee of the
House. but cleared on each occasion.
Yet at that very period, as has been
shown in the present investigation, he
was engaged in the corrupt business
for which he has now been removed
and indicted. This is no reflection upon
the committees who conducted the in
vestigation; for so skillfully had Mach
en- concealed his wrongdoing that 1t
was only revealed after months of Ia
borious and exhaustive work by
trained inspectors"
Announcement is made from the
War Department that no additional
designations Will be made of candi-
dates from civil life to be examined
for appointment as second lieutenant
in the army.
The treaty between Cuba and the
United States for adjustment of the
title to the ownership of the Isle OF
Pines has been returned to the Sem
ate Committee on Foreign Relations
for amendment to protect the interests
of American citizens before action is
taken.
1t is understood that Mai. Gen.
George w. Davis, retired, who has just
relinquished command of the forces in
the Philippines and returned to the
United States, is likely to be appointed
a member of the Isthmian Canal Com
mission. General Davis was a men,
ber of the original Isthmian Canal
Commission.
Senator Thomas c. Platt and Gov.
Benjamin B. Odell of New York have
reached an absolute and entire agree
ment politically Both will work in
perfect harmony with each other. and
with President Roosevelt. This, in brief,
Is said to be the net result of con-
ference held at the White House re-
Gently. The parties to the conference
were the president, Senator Platt, Gov
ernor Odell and Chairman George w.
Dunn of the Republican State Commit
tee of New York.
Representative Stevens of Texas has
offered a resolution directing the secre-
tary of the interior to report to the
House the result of the investigation
into the land fraud cases. The reso-
luton recites that it is currently re-
ported that the United States has been
defrauded of vast tracts of public lands
by means of fraudulent entries under
the stone, desert, timber and home
stead acts and that public officials have
entered into unlawful arrangements to
obtain possession of the public lands.
The resolutions reciting the fact that
the existence of land frauds is OH
cially admitted, calls for specific de-
tails, including names, dates and
places.
But one member of the United States
Senate is more than eighty years OF
age. Mr.. Pettus, the junior senator
from Alabama, who was born in 1871.
Fourteen are between seventy and
eighty, twenty-nine are between sixty
and seventy, and thirty-two between
fifty and sixty. The fifteen who have
crossed the ree-score-and-ten line
include both senators from Alabama
and both from Connecticut. besides
Messrs Teller, Allison, Frye, Hoar,
Gibson, Stewart, Platt Of New York,
Quay, Bate, Proctor and Cullom. The
Constitution of the United States spe-
cities thirty as the age requirement for
the Senate, and all the states have
made good this condition by safe
margin of'ten years.
Rumors have reached the S.ate De-
partment that General Reyes mission
to Washinq qton is nrimarilY to try to