Evening times-Republican., 1903-11-30
Report of the Investigation of
the Postoffice Department
Made Public
REVIEWED BY THE PRESIDENT
Every Guilty official Should Be Pun
ished to the Fullest Extent, Says
Roosevelt-PubIic Opinion Should
Demand lt-Methods by Which the
Government Was Robbed Explained.

Washington, Nov. S0.-The report OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
postoffice department, and the investi-
cation recently concluded. with the
memorandum of the president relative
thereto. was made public yesterday by
Postmaster General Payne.
The president in discussing the cor
ruption disclosed by the investigation,
says:
Postmaster General Payne and Con-
gresham q. r. Loud, chairman of the
committee on the postoffice and post
roads, held various consultations re-
garding the postal service. and as a
result of these interviews it was de-
termined that as soon as possible after
the necessary appropriations could be
made by the congress, an investigation
should be made OF the service, both
Messrs. Payne and Loud agreeing as tt
the need for the investigation. and the
time when it should take place. Ac-
cordingly an increase of $4,000 in the
appropriation bill reported in January
was made for the express purpose OF
carrying on the investigation in ques-
ton. The reasons for the increase In
the appropriation we're only known to
the postmaster general, to Congress-
man Loud, and to Congressman
Bromwell.
subsequently. sometime in January.
information was laid before me, by Mr..
Seckendorf, tending to show improper
conduct by Beavers. general superin-
tendent Of the division OF salaries and
allowances, and Machen, general sup
erintendent of the free delivery sys-
tenn; and by Mr.. William Allen White.
tending to show corruption by or under
Tyner, assistant attorney general for
the postoffice department First Assis-
tant General Wynne also informed MT
that he had become suspicious of the
integrity of both Machen and Beavers.
After full consultation with Mr.. Payne,
1t was decided that Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow should
make thorough and exhaustive In
vestigation of the charges In question
and of all matters that might be de-
veloped In connection with them Mr.
Bristow's report is a record of as thor-
ough bit of Investigating work as has
ever been done under the government
After this investigation had been in
progress for about two months, 1t be-
came evident that legal proceedings
would have to be undertaken against
some of the offenders. Owing to the
importance of the case 1t was deemed
that special counsel should
be employed and Messrs. Charles J..
Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad were
chosen for this purpose.
"The investigation made by Mr.. Bris-
tow disclosses a condition of grcss
corruption In the office of the first as
sistant postmaster general and in that
of the assistant attorney general for the
postoffice department In the case OF
the superintendent OF free delivery
Machen. the evidence shows that his
began Immediately after
his appointment in September. 1898. II.
the case of the general superintendent
of salaries and allowances, Beavers. 1t
began soon after he was appointed to-
that place In 1897. In the case of As
sistant Attorney General Tyner, 1t has
gone on for number OF years. but IL
Is impossible to say exactly when ~
began. A melancholy feature OF the
case Is that with one exception all the
offenders have been for a number of
years In the service OF the govern
ment.'
The president then gives list of
hose indicted, removed, etc. The names
,aye appeared in the press dispatches
rom time to time. The president coa-
inuing says:
The three chief offenders in the
service were Tyner. Ma
hen and Beavers. The friends OF Ty-
Ter have advanced the theory that in
is case the chief offender was really
lis nephew by marriage, Barrett, who
vas his assistant In the Office for a
,art of the time, and that Tyner's Of
enses are due to his failing bodily and
mental powers. The facts set forth
n Mr.. Bristow's report do not tend
o substantiate the validity OF these
xcuses for Tyner, while they show lit
rally astounding misconduct in Bar
EFT. For Machen and Beavers no
xcuse of any kind has been alleged.
n the case Of Metcalf, the superin-
endent of the money order system, the
most vigorous protests were at first
nAde on his behalf by large mum
,er of reputable citizens, and also by
,thers who We're at the time, deemed
equitable, but who it has since been
tipU hx, "a
One of them has been
indicted in connection with him. When
hese Investigations were begun, some
line months ago, many Of the chief
blenders who have been indicted or
dismissed or both, as above enumer-
ted, were considered to have ex-
ellent regulations. A number OF the
most respectable people in the land Of
cred voluntary testimony on behalf of
Ir. Tyner. So highly We're Messrs.
Beavers and Machen thought of by
hose who had been brought in close
with them that the congress
.ctually provided at it last session for
aising the salaries of both, the salary
n each case being increased $500. to
AXE effect the beginning of the fiscal
ear on July l last. BY that da.e
hey were both out of Office, and the
department. OF justice was taking steps
0 have them indicted. During Mu-
hens term of service he was twice
Investigated by the congress, once by
committee Of the senate and once by
committee Of the house. but cleared
IN each occasion Yet at that very
period, as has been shown in the pres
mt investigation. he was engaged In