The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-17
MR. TULL0cH SUSTAINED
Beavers, Van Colt, Willett
 Merritt Under Fire.
Her Traceweli, Auditor cas- nd Acting Secretary of the Treasury vandsriip Others Whose dcial Conduct is
 Reflected Upon.

Washington, Dec. 1s.-The report of Messrs. Conrad and Bonaparte on the charges made by, 8. w. Tulioch, formerly cashier of the Washington City Postof- lice against the administration of this ofiice was made public to-day. Under instructions from the President the report views the TuIioch charges from a legal standpoint" ese The tendency to evade answering these charges evtnced by these replying to the Postmaster Generals request for such very fofcibly by the charges against Perry s. Heath, former assistant postmaster general. which have been heretofore made piblic and his answers to them. .ssr We consider this answer, ? H continues, altogether insufficient and no, less sat isfactory in substance thsn in form.
 Heath's Record Not Good. Continutug: the report says the revision of Postmaster wiliet's accounts of t. self isFs sufficient to show that MT. Heatl's official record Is not so clear as to defy suspicion. It adds; t}s "Moreouer, the. confidential report of the inspector in charge. Smith, and the special report of Inspector Little, tend to strongly sustain some of the most se-' rious charges made by Mir TuIloch against MT. Heath that # Is quite irn- possible to dispose of these charges by calling them Ties out Of the whole cloth.' .'The reasonable inference to be drawn from Mir. Heaths complete failure to meet fully and explicitly accusations which, as Postmaster General Payne very justly admonished him. charged him with many acts of ,doubtful proprietyi added to the facts appearing from the record evidence laid before us. oniige us to say that at least strong prima facie case is presented of wiIIfnl and reckless dts regard by the late .Hrst assistant post master general of obligations imposed on. him by the regulations of ehie own de- partment. as well as by fha stAtuses Of the unlked States
 Suspicion as 1ftegsfty
 I've feel 1t our duty to add thAk s1s- picion of hls personal integrity must be an impartial consideration of the facts submitted to. us and of his plainly made quate explanations" s+.,A The report takes ID in detail the charges of improper appointments of sul climates and. improper disbursements of public funds as contained in the Tul-, Ioch charges and after analysis con
 IS is indicated by fae papers
 o us the persons directly re-,
 or these fraudulent employ Perry s. Heath and George
 5, neither of wbom is now in
 service. It seems clear. how
 this responsibility extends in
 ire to the late Postmaster Gen
 ppears to have at least toler-
 ractiee after notice of its ex-
 to the late and present post
 Washington, each of whom, ap-
 nave accepted the transfer to,
 of a number, of persons thus
 without. so far as Is known.
 or exposure"
 stles "Carelessness."
 ,rt comments on Auditor Cas-
 rent readiness to disregard the
 eguards against unauthorized eApenu. .u. es' in passing accounts for em- pIoyes. the character of whose services could not be ascertained, and in allowing Beavers illegal and fraudulent claim of 9l;14S for expenses" |" in connection with the court of claims. The report says;
 We find it impossible to doubt that Mir Heath, MT. Van Cott and MT. Beav- CTS himself knew the payment of this additional compensation was expressly forbidden by law and that 1t was called expenses to evade the prohibition" The summary and conclusions of the report are as follows: - i s8 'As result of our Inquiry in the Tul-
 
 hereinbefo set forth, we have the honor to report that in our judgment: T. The discussion of the "Tulloch charges, has revealed the existence of de- pIorable and gravely discredltabse abuses during the years 1898, 1899 and 1900 in the washington postonlce and the ofice of the first assistant postmaster general q Statute of Limitations.
 ,:2.. These abuses involved conduct on the part of the various public officials which was certainly often illegal and may have been sometimes criminal but such ~aunes, if Committed, were in all cases
 than three years before
 red to investigate the
 so far as we are clearly
 than three years before
 interview of May 1, last.
 idence laid Before us sug-
 ssibility and even probabil-
 not prove. that abuses may
 led both in the department ,ostofIice subsequently to the
 CT of 1900, when we lose sight
 nd that in connection there
 nal acts may have been com
 hin the period of limitations.
 report of Inspector Crowell and
 relating to the claim of George
 CTS indicate the possibility that
 onditiOns may have existed both
 md beyond the. period of elini-
 in the New York pcstofice. .s
 he persons primarily respousIbIe -1. above mentioned abuses and the resulting scandals appear to have been Ferry s. Heath. then first assistant post master general, and George w. Beavers. then chief of the salaries and allowance division, neither of whom is now In the service of the United States. ..s. Smith Is Involved.
 - ''6 Charles Emory Smith, the late post is master general: James P. Willett, late s.postnaster of Washington, now deceased; i John A. Merritt. his successor in the said fDGHice. and it's present incumbent; Robert J. TracewelI. controller. and Henry A HCastle, auditor for the posto6ice depart is ment. all appear to have shared in some measure. their responsibilities; the late ; postmaster general for his seeming fail- ,, gre notwithstanding repeated warnings,