Middletown transcript., 1903-08-08
WASHINGTON LETTER

WASHINGTON, D. c., August 3d., 1908
nEEPLY as they regret the discovery
- that corruption exists in the execu.
tive departments in Washington, Repub.
licans here, and probably throughout the
country, are rejoiced that President
Roosevelt has had the courage to probe
to the bottom one government depart
ment and now contemplates the thorough
invt tstigation of another. There is in
some quarters an impression that the
control of the reins of government by
one of the great parties, beyond limited
time, inevitably results in dishonest ad-
ministration and the time is not remote
when the Democrats gained national
victory with the slogan "Turn the rascals
out" That they might have done SO
again had there been any lack Of earnest
ness OH the part of the President in in
vestigating the Post Office Department is
admitted by the wiser Republican politi-
clans, but it is appreciated now, even by
the Democrats, that Mr.. Roosevelt has
effectually spiked any Democratic guns
which may have been loaded with charges
of corruption by inaugurating thorough
investigation Of the Post Office Depart
ment and by preparing for top to bot
tom inspection of the Government Print
ing Office.
1t was not with the expectation of
finding dishonest methods that President
Roosevelt determined to institute an in
vestigation of the methods in vogue in
the Printing Office, but with view to
ascertaining why it was that the cost of
printing and binding performed by the
Public Printer should SO greatly exceed
the cost of the same work performed by
private institutions. Since, however, an
investigation has been determined upon,
there have been a number of charges
that there are serious leaks in the admin
istrative methods. A rule of the book
binders union which limited the daily
task Of all its members first called the at
tention OF the President to the extrava.
CANT conduct of the government printing
establishment and it is probable that to
that rule he charged much of the in
creased cost of the federal printing and
binding but, to the surprise of many, the
officers of the bookbinders' union an
nounce that they will welcome an inves=
tigation as it will reveal the real leak and
relieve their union from the odium of an
unjust suspicion. While there will
doubtless be many rumors of corruption
in the Printing Office from now on, no
one who has witnessed the thorough
methods and the courageous spirit which
have characterized the investigation of
the Post Office Department will for a
believe that the President will
be satisfied with any ''supesfcial investi-
CATION" and the general public will rest |
assured that, when Secretary Cortelyou,
who by his high Probity and business
like methods has already won the respect
Of the public and to whom the conduct
Of the investigation will be confded, |
has completed his examination of the |
Government Printing Office, he will |
have left unturned no stone or permitted |
% escape his attention any improper
Transaction. In the words of promi-
lent Democratic member of Congress,
low in Washington, president Roose-
'elt is stealing our thunder. He is turn
ng his own rascals OUT
~
What is regarded as the most impor-
ant and wide-sweeping disclosure in con-
lection with the Post Office investigation
las just occurred. The grand jury of
he District of Columbia has just re-
urned indictments against eight persons,
hlef OF whom is August w. Machen, the
ther seven being Machen's confederates
n various schemes to defraud the govern
nent and as result of which it is esti-
mated that Machen and his pals have di-
,lded profits amounting to upwards of
10000, the cases just disclosed being
ntirely aside from the previous indict-
nents of Machen which have been re-
ated in these letters. In addition to