Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-08
DEBATED IN CONGRESS
Post Office Department Cor
raption Discussed.
MR.. GORMAN'S PURPOSE
WANTS INVESTIGATION MADE
MANDATORY ON COMMITTEE.
Mr. Lodge Contends That the Bristow
Inquiry Has Been Exhaustive
Lively Tilt in the House.

houses of Congress today. The resolution
If Senator Penrose providing for the in
yestIgation of the Post Office Department
was again before the Senate. but after be-
ing discussed for nearly an hour went
over until tomorrow. The discussion, at
first directed toward the provisions of the
resolution, finally drifted into comment on
the postal frauds In Cuba. and then SEN
ator Cullom reminded the Senate that the
Cuban bill had the right of way, and that
hey were ready to go ahead with that.
Senator Teller was In his place. ready
TO speak on the Cuban BILL and offered to
defer his speech until o'clock. but there
was other objection in the Senate against
such procedure.
Senator German made a speech in which
he charged that there was very important
testimony to show that higher officials in
he Post Office Department were involved
than those against whom indictments had
been returned and said that 1T was charged
ny some OF those indicted that they
merely the scapegoats of higher officials
who were as guilty as they. but who eS-
capped having their names drawn Into the
invest igation. He said that charges had
been made even against the officer who
had carried on the investigation, and for
these reasons he asserted that there should
be no hesitation on the part of senators in
bringing about this investigation. g
Mr. Lodge replied in effect that the in
vestigation had already been made more
searchingly than IL could be done by any
committee of Congress. and that COM
mlttee investigation would In fact merely
be bunglng AFFAIR.
Investigation Made Mandatory.
After Senator Penrose had called up his
resolution Senator German spoke at some
length on IT, He said that his amendment
OF yesterday made it mandatory on the
post office committee that 1t should carry
on the investigation instead of leaving it
to the discretion of the committee. and also
providing that the committee should report
to the Senate by May, 1904. so as to make
the investigation a speedy one.
The President of the United States.''
said Mr.. German, has called the attention
" Congress TO the widespread frauds in
that department. He has told the Senate
md the country that within ten years
there has been more fraud and corruption
and bribery than las occurred for two
centuries prior. This corruption has been
so great that II has fairly dubbed up and
became public because the thieves them
selves have quarreled about the plumber
want to call attention TO the fact that the
examination into t.lese frauds that has
been made has been by the officers of the
department who responsible for the
frauds, by men charged with participation
N the scandal and in the corruption, by
men responsible for the control of that de-
partment.
Now. this simple proposition contained
in the amendment l have offered pro-
vides that the inquiry may be made by
committee composed of senators on both
sides of this chamber. 1t requires that we
shall have an opportunity to look at the
books to examine the provisions of law by
which 1t was possible to take the peoples
money. Can any senator refuse under these
conditions to have an honorable committee
of this body composed of a large ma jorily
of the party in power and with members
IF the minority to ascertain whether these
statements are true7
Mr. Germans Assertion.
Already men accused OF high crimes and
misde;neanors retOrt through the public
press, saying that the Investigator of these
abuses is as guilty az they In some partic-
ulars. 1 assert a senator of the United
States that there is evidence in writing that
the ects Of these people who have been
placed upon the rolls of the department
resulted from written orders of higher off,
Gals who have escaped practically from
Censure in that report I assert more than
that Under the appropriation bills by
which We have placed in the hands Of the
officials of the department authority to ex-
pend money without limitation, except as
10 the gross amount of the appropriation,
we have loose legislation that should be
looked into. These abuses have grown up
with the growth of the department which
from a small beginning now expends mil
Hons of dollars annually.
"A restriction should be In the law regu-
lating the expenditures of the government"
Mr.. German repeated that tire President
had stated that there had been more cor
ruption in ten years than in two centuries
before. He said that it would be unprece-
dented under these conditions if Congress
should fail TO make an investigation.
Who does not remember" continued
Mr. German, when this Investigation was
flrst heard of that an officer of the gov
eminent said that the charges were mere
smoke! one ex-official made charges that
were laughed at. They were referred 10
me second assistant postmaster general.
and then to commission. that has told the
country that they were correct
The country Is not satisfied with what
has been done These men claim that they
nave been made scapegoats of others
complete" N
Action of Former Committees.
Senator Lodge replied to Mr. German.
The senator forgets." said Mr. Lodge
that Congress has Investigated that por-
ton OF the postal service that 1t is now
desired to investigate A committee of
Congress investigated 1t and gave a
clean bill of health. A committee of the
senate investigated 1t. and with all the
acute insight OF minority senators on the
committee nothing was discovered and a
clean bill of health was given. Two com
mlttees or Congress found nothing wrong
mere Is more clumsy machinery for an
investigation than a committee of Con-
sress Both houses have tried to discover
"Hdt WAS wrong IN the Post Office De-
partment. but have failed.
This investigation. ordered by the
president. conducted by the Postma ster
General through proper officers of the
department., has been made thorough. He
mad at his command a great detective
torce- The Postmaster General pushed
the investigation in every direction and
IN every part of the country, and with
that detective force at his command they
nave brought together great mass of
testimony and evidence which is now ly-
Post ~
be printed by an order of Congress What
We tailed TO find in our Investigations
they nave found, and before Congress
undertakes to go to work to hold a use
less committee investigation we should
know what has already been accomplished
Discovered by Investigation.
My belief is that everything has been
dcre-ten times as much-as any committee
OF Congress could possibly do in the way
o. investigation. l want that testimony
brought here and examined. and until that
has been done l do not propose for one