The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-01
President Roosevelt Comments
on the KanSan'S Work.
GIVES BRIEF SUMMARY
Heartily Praises the Diligence
of the Official
Nhite House. Norember


partment, notably in the Office of the
First Assistant Postmaster General for
that department. All the documents IN
the case are herewith forwarded TO the
Postofice Department, and viii be held
ready Cor submission to the congress
whenever it may choose to ask for them.
1t appears that in December, 1892, Post
master-General Payne and Congressman
z. T. Loud, chairman of the Commit
tee on the POstofTice and Post-Roads.
held various consultations regarding the
postal service, and * result OF these
interviews it was determined that as soon
as possible after the necessary appropTia-
tons could be made by the congress an
investigation should be made of the serv-
ice. botl Niessrs. Payne and Loud agree
ing as 10 the need for the investigation
and the time when il should take place.
Accordingly. an increase of 5000 in the
appropriation bin reported in January
was made for the express purpose of car
rying on the investigation in question.
The reasons for the increase in the ap-
preparation were known only to the Post
master-General. to Congressman Loud and
TO Congressman Brcmwel.
Subsequently, sometime in January, in
formation was laid before me by Mr..
Seckendorff tending TO show improper con-
5uct by Beavers, general superintendent
of the division Of salaries and allowances,
and Machen, general superintendent Of
the free-delivery system; and by Mr. VIII
liam Allen White tending TO show corrup-
ton by or under TyneT. Assistant Attor-
ney-General for the Postoffice Depart
ment. First Assistant -Gener-
al Wynee also informed me that he had
become suspicious of the integrity OF both
Machen and Beavers. After the consulta
zion with Mr.. Payne il was decided that
bourth Assistant Postmast teri General
Bristow show make a thorough and eX
haustive investigation of the charges in
question. and of all matters that might
be developed in connection with them.
Mr.. Bristows report is a record Of as
thorough a bit of Investigating work as
has ever been done under the govern
ment. After this investigation had been
in progress for about two months it be-
came evident that legal proceedings would
have TO he undertaken against some Of
the offenders. wing to the importance Of
the case it was deemed advisable that
rpecial counsel should be employed, and
Messrs. Charles J. Bonaparte and Holmes
Conrad were chosen for this purpose.
Messrs. Bonaparte and Conrad, in their
review of the report of Mr.. Bristow.
speak as follows: We consider the report
an exceptionally able, candid and i'm
partial review of its subject-matter and
that it Shows CLEARLY reprehensib!e mis-
conduct. amounting in many cases TO
crime. on the part Of a number Of public
it is a voluminous document,
but this arises, not from proliXity. but
from the nature of the matters discussed.
We heartily commend the report
and deem its conclusions fully justified
by the facts it sets forth: and while re
GREETING in common with all patriotic
that the grave abuses Of long
landing which it reveals should have
grown up in the Postofice Department
We consider the exposure OF these abuses
and the attempts made to punish those
responsible for them a work of the high
est public utility quickly and ably per-
formed" IN all that is thus said OF the re-
port Of Mr. Bristow I cordially agree.
The investigation made by Mr.. Bristow
discloses a condition Of gross corruption
in the Office Of the First Assistant Post
master General and in that of the As
sistant Attorney General for the Postof-
flee Department. IN the case OF the super
inteudent of free delivery. Machen. the
evidence shows that his misconduct began
after his appointment in Sep
TENDER. 1899. II the cas- 81 the general
/ salaries and allowances,
Beavers, it began soon after he was APP
pointed To that place in i,9s il The case
Of Assistant Attorney t;eae-u Ty1er it
has gone on fo- 81 rum:,e- Of years. hut
# is impossible TO eay exactly whca it
began \ I.lela.cr., y feature Of the cas-
is that with one exc 'aGp1 al the Offend
ers have been for number uf Years in
the government service. The following Is
a list OF the fourteen postoffiee employees
n the service at the time this irvestiga-
ton was begun, who are apparently most
seriously Implicated in the wroBgCoing,
with an account OF the steps that
have been taken by the government in
each case and statement of the date of
the original appointment Of each man in
the service;
The case Of ex-First Assistant Postmas-
Heath. July 81. 1900, set forth
In the report of Mr. Bristow-
James y. Tyacr. Assistant Attorney
General for Postohice Department: APP
pointed special agent. Postofice Depart
rnent. March :. lS6l; with intervals OF a
few years has been in the service ever
since. and was Postmaster-Cfene-sl under
President Grant for several months: he
vas removed April p. ls03. he mas since
been indicted three times.
a ". Machen. general superintendent
free-delivery system: appointed clerk in
postotfcc at Toledo. Ohio March J. lS>1.
in service ever since save foc
three years; romevowe May =. 1855. has
since heen indicted fourteen times.
George W. Beavers. general Superintend-
ent OF salaries ana allowances; aprC.nted
10 clerkship in New York postoffice Jan
uary. 1881. continuous service ever since;
accepted 10 take effect March
81. IaaSs has since been Indicted eisht
times.
james T. Metcalf. superintendent mon
ey-order system. appointed poStohice in
spector February >. IsS2: has been IN pos
tai service ever since; removed June L.
1858: has been indicted once.
L. Daniel Y. Miller. assistant attorney,
Postofiice Department; appointed July !
lsae: removed May -. Ieg2; fadicted once: +
after one mistrial was retired and acQU.t-
ted.
Louis Kempner. superintendent registry /
system; appointed clerk in New York I.
,6stotfice August. 1875; removed octo- I
Der II 1875
Charles Hedges. Superintendent city free |
delivery service: appointed assistant Su- I
perintentent free-deliVsry service July !. 4
lSse. removed July =. 1856.
James ". Erwin. assistant superinJeud- 4