The Washington times., 1903-06-20
POSTAL CRISIS CALLS
FOR PAYNE'S RESIGNATION
1t Should Be Requested if Not Offered
to the President.
From New York Evening Post.I


White House. 1t was a wholesome step.
Metealf's own apology. first printed in
the Evening Post OF Tuesday, was his
sufficient condemnation. The President
saw the point at once. and gave the
order for decapilauon. But can he
stop with that? Is there any hope Of
toning up demoralized and cor
rupt department without giving II q
new head? without the slightest ami
mus against Postmaster General Payne
personally, we have come to the firm
conviction that the crisis calls for his
separation from the Cabinet-by a re-
quest for his resignation. II he has not
the grace TO offer it.
We do not say so merely because of
Mr.. Payne's general attitude throughout
the inquiry into the lamentabIe frauds
in his department. lie has been most
undignified in his bearing. and positively
shocking in his fiippant language about
grave crimes. But that is a matter of
official taste. II the President likes that
kind OF slangy associate. IL is his affair
He cannot. however, be Indifferent to
open official dereliction, and OF that the
record now clearly shows Mr.. Payne TO
be guilty. We will put the case as sue
cinctly as possible.
This morning General Bristow's re-
port to the Postmaster General was
made public. It proves the Tulloch
charges up to the hiIt. BY the unim-
peached evidence Of Government in
spectors. by transcripts from the Official
records. 1t shows that systematic viola
lions OF the postal laws were practiced
at the direct orders Of First Assistant
Perry Heath and Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith II is mainly
story Of petty thieving. Infinitely base in
conception, incredibly sordid in execu-
ton.
stealings of a few dollars here. illegal
foisting of this and that name upon the
payrolls for no services rendered, and
the carrying OF all kinds Of suspicious
favorites and imposters-the whole docu-
ment reads like a brief abstract from
the Newgate calendar. or a fragment
OF a report Of sneak thieves in the
Bowery. But It is absolutely convincing,
and is acknowledged even by the Post
master General to prove that Mr. TuI-
loch did not begin to tell all the dis
gusting truth.
Now mark the sequence OF events
This report of General Bristow's was
placed in Mr.. Payne's hands on May 1.
That mass OF overwhelming evidence
was. therefore, in his possession long
before he gave out his partial and mis-
leading summary Of the Tulloch charges
tinued TO characterize those charges as
mere personal grievances" and gilt
tering generalities." affirming that there
was no evidence-nothing but words. -
But be had in his desk all the while the
most complete and damning evidence
from his own subordinate. General Bris-
towl
How could a Postmaster General who
was both honest and capable take that
amazing position? Did he intend ~
that time 10 keep the Bristow report IN
der lock and key forever? Was It his
idea that. if Tulloch could only be
sneered down the wind, the whole scan
dal could be officially smOthered? II
he thought so, and meant to do Il. he is
not TT for Office morally; and IL he did
not perceive, or had not weighed, the
crushing significance OF the facts laid
before him by General Bristow. he IS
not fit mentally In either case, he
ought 10 be the next man to go.
His statement when the Bristow re-
port was at last reluctantly allowed TO
see the light is cumulative evidence that
a man OF different caliber is impera-
lively needed at the head of the depart
ment Mr.. Payne tries TO put the whole
thing of on President Mckinley. Well.
history will deal with the latter's Adj
ministration. all IN good time; but the
living cannot unload their guilt upon
the dead.
The Postmaster General hastens 10
declare also that the whole episode OF
the irregularities" is now closed
That was his easy phrase on June !,
when the letter of Charles Emory Smith
was printed. II "closes the TulIOch Incl
dent" said the sapient Payne. But the
Bristow report has, apparently, closed
Mr. Smith.
Although. in the Press" a few days.
he gave notice that he should waive his
personal relation TO the scandal and
discuss the frauds freely, he states this
morning that he cannot say anything
about the Bristow report, notwithstand-
ing the fact that il shows some OF the
worst violations Of the rules to have
been directed by himself That, how
ever. is one Of the matters which Mr..
Payne SAYS We must no longer think of.
because they are old" SO may a case
OF blood poisoning be OF long standing.
but that does not make the victim less
anxious to expel the virus from his sys-
ten.
The point we make is that President
Roosevelt has to deal with an ulcer in
the public service. Can he expect
man like Payne TO cut II 20 the bone. In
GarGeId's phrase? We do not see how
he possibly can The case calls for a
change of physicians. \ Cabinet mem
Der of ordinary constituencies would, IN
the Postmaster Generals place, have
presented his resignation long ago II
Mr. Roosevelt has such a document in
his pocket. he ought 20 take it out and
write accepted" on it's face without u
moments delay If he has not got ii.