The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-06
Republicans Want All Depart
ments investigated.
HOLMES CONRAD ON TRAIL.
indian Agents Charged With Colluslo y
and the interior Department VIII
Likely Have an Overhauling'
Charges IN Treasury Too.
Tho Times Dispatch Bureau,
Nh iAt7 G Street. N. W.,

4 No, l417 G street, ~. Wa n
washington, D. C., September 9th.
Several Republican Congressman IN tho
ma st few days nave expressed themselves
rs in favor of wholesale Investigation
by Congress OF every department OF gov
eminent without expressing any oplh-
Ion as to whether such declarations were
sincere, or made merely for political Ell
feet, II may DO asserted with perfect con
fdence that governmental investigation
was never begun with what may 20
termed greater wealth OF charges 70
piobe. ffffSs
d II seems that thore are mono. 20 far 40
the Department Of State iy concer ned.
and none affecting the Department OF
Commerce and labor, which Is less than
a year old. When one sits down ana,
after the manner OF Solomon when ne was
trying to recall woman after MS own
heart, and counts over the departments
OF government service In an effort to ma
one not under suspicion. he Is little more
successful than the wike man IN MS
search for square women
The trail OF the serpent OF suspicion IS
over them all.
PosToFFICD SCANDALS.
few months' investigation into the
affairs Of the Postofiice Department re-
yealed such official corruption as has
reyer been unearthed In home govern
rnent in modern times. Warren Hastings
stole moro in India than the Postoitlce
Department thieves are alleged to nave
stolen, but he had not nearly SO perfect
a. system for doing So The perfection
or the organization for footing which ex-
listed among the officials Of the Post
Office Department must remain for n long
time the admiration and the envy OF
crooked private citizens ut home and
abroad. It is not byyany means certain
that the men who conducted the inves-
tigation found all that might have been
found. There were MANY things which
led to the belief that the probe was not
pressed beyond certain point, when 1t
could have heen pushed further. The In
ference that those high In the government
desired to save others who stood near
them. or men who had been powerful In
party and the government. was ma tural.
Ii WATCH A1AJOR CONRAD.
Many people would be greatly disap-
| pointed If at tho trial Of the men indicted
| for fraud In the conduct of the affairs Of
! the Postoffice Department. tlonal de-
| velopments affecting names familiar to
| everybody, do not result. / have heard
| the belief expressed that counsel for thb
| government would not press their CAGES
| so as to duplicate those whose names or
positions apparently place them above
suspicion, but Holmes Conrad, Of Viz.
| ginla, Is to be one OF the government
prosecutors. Those who know Major Colt
rad know he will not rest his case as
| long as there Is the scent OF unbound
| fraud tn be followed. 7Fts{i is
Thera Is hardly a lawyer IN the coun-
| try who could come nearer locating It
| than the shrewd and accomplished barris-
ter from Winchester. 49,
A Senator Of the United States who
knows Major Conrad we'll, remarked t.
me fnw nights ago that the admirtstra-
tion had made a nistaks IN the selection
OF counsel, If 1T did not Wish the cases
pushed as far as lawyers could push it.
LAW DEPARTMENT CHARGES.
But to return to the broader field for In
yestigation Of which, Just spoke. Tho
Department Of Justice has only this week
began investigation Of the alleged cor
| ruption OF marshals and district attor-
neys In the four districts OF the Indian
| Territory. III ..S
Conditions out there are said to be very
| bad. Nlarshals or their deputies or ooth,
| are said to have been making large sums
| from contracts for feeding prisoners. ana
/ others OF them are charged with having
become rich from the traffic In tntoxlcan aus
which is prohibited by law In the terri,
tory. Other charges are freely made ana
| representa- ons OF the rottenness OF req
eral officials In the Territory were ~
| strong that an investigation could NOT
have been denied. It Is said that conoi-
! tions are very similar in other OF the
Territories. " =, =, ,r,,,,r
There has been no move on the part OF
| the Interior Department to lnvest'shto
charges of corruption connected WITH the
sale and allotment of lands In Indian TeF-
ritory and Oklahoma, The charges are
aimed directly Mt members OF the DaWes
Commission and others connected Wltn
the commission. It Is alleged that THESE
men are connected with certain trust
comnanies. which propose to lease or buy
| ro ridiculously small sums the land al
lated to the ignorant Indians. -
| T talked recently With sdx Cherokee IN
dian girls from the Territory--young wo-
men OF refinement and education They
we're utterly unable to conceal their an
ger. and one could not keep back tho
tears as she talked OF the manner ~
which the Dawes Commission Is proceed
Ing In the matter OF allottlng the lands
OF the Indians.
indian agents at q number OF reserVa-
tons have been charged with collision
with contractors In the purchase of sup
plies and other corrupt practices IN hand
! ling the indians. Secretary Hitchcock, OF
the Interior Department, has discovered
| that these charges were founded on tac|
~ several cases. and has dismissed sew
e1al indian agents. 1t ls thought others
will have to go. and by the time the IN
vestlgaton OF charges against members
! of the Dawes Commission and others at
| tnched to that body shall have concluded.
| If will probably be found that the scan
| a,ls of tho PostofTlce Department were