The Saint Paul globe., 1903-09-04
Increasing Business With the
Globe Increases Business
for Business Men.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 4, 1903.
WHERE THE PROBE WILL STOP.


A Republican congressman from
Maryland announces that he will in
troduce at the next session a resolution
providing for an investigation of every
department of the government service.
He says that it is permeated with
grating. and that he wants it probed
bic to the honorable gentleman, but
will be very disagreeable to his parry.
And he will discover that his probe
does not go far, because the party
leaders cannot afford to have it reach
the seat of disease.
The difficulty about it is that Presi-
dent Roosevelt is a candidate, and as
such is in the hands of his friends.
We sincerely believe that. if he dared
to use a free hand. if he were the i'm
petuous untrammeled leader that he
was years ago, he would not leave a
scandal untouched or a rascal unpun-
ished if he could reach them. His ins
stincts are for honest government; and
his personal character is above re-
proach. But he has had to pay the
awful price exacted from a candidate
for high office. AT least he thinks that
he has, which is the worst mistake of
his entire life.
That there is rottenness in all the
departments is now beyond reach of
denial A part of the fostering sore
has been laid bare in the postoffice de-
partment. The interior department
has made confession of frauds in the
Indian bureau. The record of the
treasury in connection with the con-
tracts for public buildings will not bear
the light. The facts in relation to all
these abuses have appeared in our COL
umns. And what has the president
done about it?
He has, very obviously, compromised
with his conscience. He has author
lied investigation to be made, but is
unwilling that it should be sufficiently
thorough to right the wrong no mat
ter whom it may hit. Postmaster Cen
eral Payne remains at the head of his
department. The work of ferreting out
the scoundrels has been committed to
Bristow, but everybody knows what
the limitations are as long as Payne
remains in command. The president
put him there to do a certain work; to
aid in securing his nomination by the
work is not to be interfered with,
though the good of the service de-
mands it.
Behind the contractors who are ac-
cused of billking the government by
the construction of public buildings
stand the big bosses, Platt and Quay.
The president does not dare to defy
them. He dare not take the chances of
alternating their support at the possible
cost of defeat. He dare not be brave
and strike at fraud wherever it NAV
be found, forgetting that such a rec
ord would constitute his greatest
strength with the people The conven-
ton is too near at hand and the risk
of defeat too great. The injury to the
people is no greater than is the pity of
. 1t that Theodore Roosevelt should feel
such constraint. and admit himself
helpless before the venal crew with
whom he believes that his political for
tunes are tied up.
1t is precisely the same weakness
that appears in Republican dealing
with the tariff question. 1t "Iets I dare
not wait upon 1 would" The masses
of the people believe that tariff re-
duction is an economic duty and a
moral necessity. The Republican lead
ers viii not let them move. lest the
protected interests take offense and cut