The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-30
PRESIDENT ON
POSTAL GRAFT
General Bristow's Report Is Made
the Subject of a Caustie
Memorandum.
Mr.. Roosevelt Does Not Mince Mat
tiers, but Is 0utspoken in
Condemnation.
Documents Reveal an Astounding
Story of Official Rascality
and Corruption. s"Z

Washington, Nov. 30.--The postof-
flee investigation and it's results were
formally given to the public to-day.
A complete summary of Fourth AS
sistant Postmaster General Br1stoW's
Investigations is made public together
with a vigorous memorandum from
President Roosevelt, severely repro
batting corruption in public office and
demanding punishment for the Of
tenders. The presidents memoran-
dunn is in full as follows:
White House, Nov. "a, 1905.-Memoran-
dunn upon the various papers supmltteo
from the department OF justice and the
postoffice department concerning the lnVes-
tigation into the corrupt practices obtain
ing in the poStoffiCe department.. notab y
in the office of the first assistant post
master general and in the office OF the
assistant attorney general for that de-
partInent All the documents in the case
are herewith forwarded to the postoffice
department., and will be held ready for
submission to the congress whenever II
may choose to ask for them.
1t appears that In December, 1902, Post
master General Payne and Congressman
E. F.. Loud, chairman of the committee
on the postoffice and postroads, held va
rious consultations regarding the postal
service, and as result OF these inter-
possible after the necessary appropriations
could be made by the congress an tnvesti-
cation should be made Of the service D0th
Messrs. Payne and Loud agreeing as to
the need for the investigation and the
time when it should take place. Accord
ingly. an increase Of $4,000 in the appro-
priation bill reported in January was made
for the express purpose Of carrying on the
investigation In question. The reasons
for the increase in the appropriation were
known only to the postmaster general,
to Congressman Loud and to Congressman
Bromwen. @.. 8. ,..t -..e ..-.
subsequently, some time In January. In
formation was laid before me by Mr..
Seckendorff tending to show improper con-
duct by Beavers, general superintendent
of the division of salaries and allowances,
and Machen, general superintendent Of the
free delivery system and by William Allen
White tending to show corruption by or
under Tyner, assistant attorney general
for the postoffice department. First AS
sistant Postmaster General Wynne also
informed me that he had become sus-
picious of the integrity of both Machen
and Beavers. After full consultation with
Mr. payne 1t was decided that Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General Bristow should
make a thoro and exhaustive investigation
of the charges In question and Of all
matters that might be developed In con-
nection with them. Mr.. Bristows report
is a record Of as tl1oro bit Of investigat-
Ing work az has ever been done under
the government. After this investigation
had been In progress for abouttw months
1t became evident that legal proceedings
would have to be undertaken against some
Of the Offenders. Owing to the Importance
of the case 1t was deemed advisable that
special counsel should be employed, and
Messrs. Charles j. Bonaparte and Holmes
Conrad were chosen. for this purpose.
artn
review Of the report of Mr.. BrtstoW, speak
as follows: I'VE consider the report an
exceptionally able, candid and impartial
review Of its subject matter, and that 1t
shows clearly reprehensible misconduct,
amounting In many cases to crime, on the
part of a number Of public officials. 1t
Is voluntnous document tRt this arises,
not from proliXity, but from the nature
of the matters discussed. We
heartily commend the report and deem it's
conclusions fully justified by the facts 1t
sets forth; and while regretting in COM
mon with all patriotic citizens that the
grave abuses Of long standing which il
reveals should have grown up In the
postoffice department, we consider the ex-
posture of these abuses and the attempts
made to punish those responsible for them
a work Of the highest public. utility
quickly and ably performed In all that
is thus said of the report Of Mr.. Bristow,
cordially agree.
Gross Corruption. p
/ The investigation made by Mr.. Bristow
discloses a condition of gross corruption
in the office Of the first assistant post
master general and in that of the assistant
attorney general for the postoffice depart
ment. In the case of the superintendent
of free, delivery, Machen, the evidence
shows that his misconduct be/En inme-
diately after his appointment in Septem-
Der, 1893. In the case of the genera
superintendent of salaries and allowances
Beavers 1t began soon after he was ap'
pointed to that place in 1897. In the case
Of Assistant Attorney General Tyner II
has gone on for a number Of years, but II
is impossible to say exactly when 1t be.
gan. A melancholy feature Of the case
is that with one exception all the offend
ers have been for number Of years ir
the government service. The following
is a. list of the fourteen postoffice en-
ployes in the service at the time this in
vestigation was begun who are apparently
most seriously implicated in the wrong
doing, together with account Of tn,
steps that have been taken by the govern
ment in each case and a. statement Of tn
date of original appointment Of each maj
in the service:
(The case of ex-First Assistant Postmaste
General Heath who had left the service over thre
years before this Investigation begun, Is Sc
forth in the report of Mr.. Bristow.)
James n. Tyne, assistant attorney general 70
postofhce department; appointed special agen
for postofGce department March T. 1851; witt
intervals Of n few years has been In the service
since. and WAS postmaster general unde
President Grant for several months he was re
moved April g. 1903: he has since been ndicte
three times.
A. W. Machen, general superintendent free de
livery system; appointed clerk in postoffce at To
1edo, Ohio March l. 1887: continuously in ser
vice ever since for three years: removed
May II. 1908; has since been indicted four
teen times.
George W. Beavers. general superintendent o
salaries and Allowances appointed to clerkshi
in New York postof6ce January. 1881: contnu
service since: resignation accepted t
take effect March 81, 1903 has since been indict
ed eight TIRES.
James I. Metcalf superintendent money orde
system appointed postoffce inspector Feb. 2
1882 has been in postal service since: re
moved June II, 1903; has been indicted
Daniel ". Miller assistant attorney. postof1c
department; appointed July 1, 1902: removed
May rs. 1908: Indicted once; after one mistria
was retired and acquitted.
Louis Kempner. superintendent registry sys
tenn: appointed clerk in New York postoffc,
August 1895: removed Oct, 81, 1903.
Charles Hedges, superintendent city free de
livery service appointed assistant superintendent