The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-01

fOItO II. W6lS5 ASBlSlAHL bMp0EtHtcuu.
emit registry division, New York post
office; removed Oct. 81, 1903.
IT. w. McGregor, clerk, free deliv
e.y division, in charge Of supplies; re
moved June 5. 1903; indicted twice.
&C. E. Upton, clerk, free delivery di
vision; removed June 5, 1908; indict
ed once.
IN. w. Louis, superintendent supply
division; Charles B. Terry, clerk. sup
ply division; removed Oct. 81, 1903.
"As shown in Mr.. Rristow's report,
and as partially indicated by the &C.
lions in the several cases. these cases
show widely varying degrees of cul
pability.
"Among outsiders indictments have
been found against H. ]. Barrett.
George E. Green, Diller B. and Samuel
A. Croft, William G. Long, Isaac S..
Mcclellan, George H. Huntington.
George E. Lorenz, Martha ]. Lorenz.
John T. Cupper, H. G. Hallenbeck, W
D. Doremus, Eugene d. Scheble, Will
lam G.. Crawford, Maurice Runkle.
Norman R. Metcalf, Leopold ]. Stern.
Edmund H. briggs, George r. Miller
and Joseph M. Johns.
Several of the above have been in
dicted two, three. or five times each
The Three Chief Offenders.
1.-THE three chief offenders in the gov.
eminent service were Tyner, Machen,
and Beavers. The friends of Tyner
have advanced the theory that in his
case the chief offender was really his
nephew by marriage, Barrett, who was
his assistant in the Office for a part
of the time. and that Tyner's o%ffenses
are due to his failing bodily and men.
tai powers. The facts set forth in
Mr.. Bristow's report do not tend to
substantiate the validity of these ex-
cuses for Tvre~. while they show
literally astounding misconduct in
Barrett. For Machen and Beavers
no excuse of any kind has been alleg-
ed. In the case Of Metcalf, the super
intendent of the money order system,
the most vigorous protests were at
first made on his behalf by a large
number Of reputable citizens.
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 considered to
have excellent regulations. A num-
Der Of the most respectable people in
the land offered voluntary testimony
on behalf Of MI. Tyner. So highly
were Messrs. Beavers and Machen
thought of by those who had been
brought into, close connection wi
them that the congress actually pro-
vided at It's last session for raising
the salaries of both, the salary in each
case being increased $500. to take ef-
feet at the beginning Of the fiscal
year on July l last. BY that date they
we're both out of Office, and the de-
partment Of justice was taking steps
to have them indicted. During Ma
chen's term Of service he was twice
investigated by the congress, once by
a committee Of the senate and nce by
a committee of the house. but cleared
on each occasion. Yet at that very
period, as has been shown in the pres
ent investigation, he was engaged in
the corrupt business for which he has
nov been removed and indicted.
Bribery and Blackmaii.
1.-THE details of the corruption are
set forth In full in Mr.. Bristow's re.
pOIL dAu fAOOu AOI NC 1CC0PAIOA0ICu W
me. AS regards Messrs. Beavers and
Machen, the corruption took the form
of bribery and b1ackmail in connec.
ton with the purchase Of government
supplies. In the office of the assist
ant attorney general for the postof1ce
department, under Tyner and Barrett
far greater wrong was inflicted upon
the public than could be measured by
a pecuniary standard, for in this of.
fee the corruption of the government
officials took the form of favorlng get
rich-quick and similar swind'
ling schemes; In other words, the
criminals, whom it was the sworn
duty of these government officials tc
prosecute, paid them for permission
to fleece the public unmolested.
ri heartily approve of the recon
m%endation of Messrs. Conrad and
Bonaparte that the statute of limita
lions be extended in the case of gov
eminent servants to a period of al
least five years; for the persons who
in such positions of trust engage II
corrupt practices can ordinarily con
ceal their guilt for a longer time thar
is covered by the present short statute
of limitations. This recommendation
has been laid before the congress II
the report Of the attorney general, and
it is earnestly hoped that it will BIZ
acted upon favorably. Moreover, oul
experience shows that outsiders claim
ing political influence sometimes sci
| their influence to candidates for Office
or in other words blackmail these
candidates. There should be legisla
ton which will permit of summary
| dealing with such offenders.
Changes In Postoffice Department.
However, the prime need is no
new legislation but the punishment o
those who offended against existin,
laws. The postofice department Il
making certain changes in the meth
DDS of administration, notably in thu
method OF inspection, by which tn
service will be improved and thu
| chance of corruntion existing WithQu