The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-01

continuousiy in service ever since save for three years: removed May q, 1908; has since been Indicted fourteen times.
 George ", Beavers. gene. al superin- tendent of salaries and allowances; ap- ponted to clerksfip In New York postofn ,e January 1ssls continuous service ever since; resignation accepted to take effect March a. iscs has since been indicted James |. Msfcsif. superintendent money order system: appointed postofice inspec- tor February g. 1882; has been In pos al service ever since: removed June i7, 1908: has been indicted once
 |, Daniel V. Miller. assistant attorney, Postoffice Department: appointed July i, 1902; removed May 2S. 1905; indicted oncs; after one mistriai was retried and ac- quilted.
 Louis Kempnes.. superintendent registry system; appointed clerk in New York pcstofice August. 1886; removed October
 Charles Hedges, superintendent city free delivery service: appointed assistant superintendent fTee-delivery service July i, 1888; removed July 2. 1903.
 James w. Erwin. assistant superinten- dent free-delivery service; appointed pos.- office inspector June 27, 1887; removed September 16 1902: indicted once.
 W, Scott Towers. superintendent Stati ,n c. Washington. D. C.: appointed cisrR. Washington postofice November, 1890: rs- moved October, l. 1908; indicted three times.
 Otto r. weis, assistant superintendent registry division, New York postoffice; ap- pointed clerk, New York postof3ce June, 1890; removed October a, 1908.
 T. w, McGregor. clerk free-delivery division, in charge of supplies; appointed postoffice department. March Ii. 1891; re- moved June s. fsB; indicted twice.
 c. E. Upton. clerk free delivery division, in charge of supplies; appointed postoflce department. March Il, 1891; removed June s. 1908. indicted twice.
 c. E. Upton. clerk free delivery divis- ion; apointed July 1. 1soo: removed June 5. 1903; indicted once.
 M. W. Louis. superintendent supply division: appointed Kansas City postofflce April n, 1897: removed October a. 1908.
 Charles B. Terry, clerk. supply division; apointed September 20. 1900; removed October 2i, fs0a
 Culpahility Varies.
 As shown in Mr., Bristow's report. and as partially indicated by the actions In the several cases. these cases show widely varying degrees of cuipability.
 Among outsiders indictments have also been found against H. Barrett. former ly in the Postoffice Department from May il. 1889 to September % 1893 and from June 1. 1897. to December s1. 1910; George E. Green. Differ B. and Samuel A. Groff. William C. Long, formery In the Postofics Department from Apri ;7. 1890. to August IS. 1883; Isaac S. McGie- han. George H. Huntington. George E. Lorenz. formerly postmaster at Toledo, O.: from August 2, 1886, to July 9, 1890: Mar tha !. Lorens. John H. Cupper, H. c. Halienbeck. ". D. Doremus, Eugene D. Scheble. William G. Crawford. Deputy Auditor Postoslice Department from June E. Is9a. to &futsmber 15. 1897; Maurice Runlkle. N6fman R. Metcalf Leopold ]. Stern. Ednund N. briggs, George k. MI. Ter. oJseph M. Johns.
 Several of the above have been indicted two. thrae. or Eve times each.
 The three chief offenders in the Govern ment, service were Tyner. Macten and Beavers. The friends of Tyner have ad- vaneed Stlle thaQry that tn his ease the ehinf nfEAnder wSs ssaly fis nephew by marriage. Barrett who was his assistant h the offcs for part of fhs time. and that TyAer's ofCenseS are due to his fall ing bodily and mental powers. The facts set forth in Mir. Bfistow's report do not tend to substantiate the validity of these excuses for Tyner, while they show lit- erally astounding misconduct in Barrett
 .,-, No Excuse oered.
 For Machen and Beavers no excuse of any kind has been alleged. In the case of Metcan. the superintendent of the money order system, the most vigorous protests were at first made on his behalf by large number of reputable citizens, and also by others who were at the time deemed reputable. hut who 1t has since been discovered were profiting by Mot calfs misconduct. One of them has beAu indicted in connection with him. When these investigations were begun, some nine months ago. many of the chief offenders who have been indicted or dismissed. or both, as above enumerated, were consid- cred to have excellent regulations. A number of the most respectable people in the land offered voluntary testimony on behalf of MT. Tyner. So highly were Messrs. Beavers and Machep thought of by those who had been brought into close connection with them that the Congress actually provided at it's last session for raising the salaries of both. tho salary in each case being increased $500 to take effect at the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1. last By that date they were both out of office and the Department of Justice was taking steps to have them indicted. During Machen's term of ser- vice he was twice investigated by the Congress. once by a committee of the Senate 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 en- gagged in the corrupt business for which he has now been removed and indicted. This Is no reflection upon the committees who conducted the investigation: for so skillfully had Machen concealed h.s wrong-doing that 1t was only revealed af- ter months of laborious and exhaustive work by trained inspectors.
 Bribery and Blackmail.
 The details of the corruption are set forth in full in Mir. Bristow's report and need not be Fecapitulated by me. As re- gards Messrs. Beavers and Machen the corruption took the form of bribery ana blackmail in connection with the purchase of Government supplies. Tn the ofiice of the Assistant Attorney General for the Postoffice Department. under Tyner and Barrett far greater wrong was inflicted upon the public than could be measured by pecuniary standard for in this of- hce the corruption of the Government of- ficials took the form of favorinR Ret-r,ch. quick concerns and "imilar swind,ine schemes; in other words, the crimin.lIs whom 1t was the sworn duty of the,c Government officials to prosecute. paId them for permission to fleece the public unmolested
 I heartily approve of the recommends. tion of Messrs. Conrad and Roman rte that the statute of limitations be extand- ed in the case of government servants to period of at least five years; for the v er- sons who in such positions of trust en- gage in corrupt practices can ordina rilv haI For