Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-30

Washington. Nov. 3O.-President
Roosevelt today made public his mem
orandum upon the postal investiga-
tion. 1t is given below in full
White House, Nov. ~, 1903.-Mem-
orandum upon the various papers
submitted from the department of
justice and the postoffice department
concerning the investigation into the
corrupt practices obtaining in the
postOffice department, notably in the
office of the first assistant postmas-
ter general and in the Office of the as
sistant attorney general for that de-
partment. All the documents in the
case are herewith forwarded to the
pestotfice department, and will be
held ready for submission to the con
gress whenever it shall choose to ask
for them.
1t appears that in December. 1902.
Postmaster General Payne and Con-
gresham L. +. 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 af-
ter the necessary appropriations
could be made by the congress in
vestigation should be made of the
service, both Messrs. Payne and Loud
agreeing as to the need for the inves-
LEGATION ana the time when ii should
take place. Accordingly, an increase
of $4,000 in the appropriation bill re-
ported in January was made for the
express purpose of carrying on the
investigation in question. The rea-
sons for the increase in the appropri-
aticn were only known to the post
master general. to Congressman Loud
and to Congressman BrOmwel.
Laid Before President.
Subsequently, some time in Janu-
AIRY, information was laid before me
by Mr.. Seckendorff tending to show
improper conduct by Beavers, general
superintendent of the division of sal
aries and allowances, and Machen,
general superintendent of the free de
livery system; and by William Allen
White tending to show corruption by
or under Tyner. assistant attorney
general fer the postoffice department.
First Assistant Postmaster General
Wynne also informed me that he had
both Machen and Beavers. After full
consultation with Mr.. Payne it was
decided that Fourth Assistant Post
master General Bristow should make
thorough and exhaustive investiga-
tion of the charges in question and of
all matters that might be developed
in connection with them. Mr.. Bris-
lows report is record of as thor
ough a bit of Investigating work as
has ever been done under the govern
ment. After this investigation had
been in progress for about two
months it became evident that legal
proceedings would have to be under
taken against some of the offenders.
Owing to the Importance of the case
it was deemed advisable that special
counsel should be employed, and
Messrs. Charles j. Bonaparte and
Holmes Conrad were chosen for this
purpose. Messrs. Bonaparte and Con-
rad, in their review of the report of
Mr.. Bristow, speak as follows: I'VE
consider the report an exceptionally
able, candid and impartial review of
its subject matter and that it shows
clearly reprehensible misconduct.
amounting IN many cases TO CRIME, on
the part of a number of public Off
ciaIs. 1t is voluminous document,
but this arises, not from proliXity.
but from the nature of the matters
discussed. We heartily com
mend the report and deem its con-
illusions fully justified by the facts it
sets forth; and while regretting in
common with all patriotic citizens
that the grave abuses of long stand
ing which it reveals should have
grown up in the postoffice depart
ment, we consider the exposure of
these abuses and the attempts made