Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-04-25
Post Office Scandals.

tC0"tio"ed from fourth eoiumn.D
the charges against him will be that he
was at the head of syndicate that was
selling increases in salaries When a
man designated as entitled to an in
crease in his salary was sent in 70 Bea-
vers it is charged that he was notified
that he must plank down not less than
$25 or the increase did not go We all
know that Beavers lately built resi-
dence in the City of Brooklyn that cost
not less than $50. 900, and on salary OF
81. 800 year. Other things are now
coming TO light. Fine furniture was
allowed or sometimes forced on post
masters all over the country, and all of
it was made by one concern. Typewrit-
ing machines have been distributed law
shly. aud all of them Of the same make.
The old-fashioned good iron mail boxes
were supplanted by sheet iron boxes,
and all of Them painted alike and with
the same firms paint, and painted by
men sent out from the department. when
il could have been done much cheaper
at home by some firm in thu city where
the painting was done The farmers
not allowed to furnish their own boxes.
hut were compelled to pay for the kind
of boxes prescribed and sent out by the
superintendent of the free delivery ser
vice. Whenever IL new rural free deliv-
cry routc was To be inaugurated some
firm that furnished wagons aud other
things to the department or to the car
riers vas given the Zip ami got into the
game before any other firm knew any
thing about il. Aud cut of this comes
good graft for the men behind the
scenes. The chances are that the thing
will be 81 stupendOus that the republi-
can party will refuse tn allow the facts
to be given to the public, and the peo-
pie will know nothing of it until a
democratic Congress compels publicity.
The people can get the facts about how
many thousands of dollars have been
wasted and stolen from them only by
electiDg democratic Congress.
Whenever the people of this country
elect democratic Congress and a DEM
ocratic administration there will come
forth revelations of rottenness and cor
ruption i'll che departments of this gov.
eminent that will stagger the nation.
The truth is that every department of
this government in this city is honey
combed with rottenness and all of it has
grown up since Mckinley was inaugu.
rated in 1897. The Post Office Depart
ment seems to have been conducted by
and in the interest of the grafters, the
Treasury Department III the interest of
the interest of the Steel Trust, the War
Department in the interest of General
Wood, the Interior Department in the
interest of the Glass Trust. that wants
to grab the gilsonite beds in the Uncom-
pagre Ute Indian reservation, and the
Department of Justice i'll the interest of
the trusts in general The new Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor has not
got into the game. How long do the
people intend 40 stand it?
This administration is hitting the Civ
il Service with an axe The Washington
Post is authority for the statement that.
''since President Roosevelt came into
office large portion of the important
offices in the United States Treasury
Department have been filled with new
men, or will be filed before long WHILE
Something like clean sweep has bee,
gradually put into effect, but it has been
done quietly, and as a rule with little
publicity" That is pretty serious
charge for newspaper with strong re.
publican leanings to make against the
President. who boasts OF his Civil Ser
vice Reform antecedents and who was
supposed to be still an ardent disciple of
the same cult.
1t is also stated that more postmasters
have been removed and appointed dur
ing the last two years than ever before
in the history of the department. The
fact is, the President is building up his
own little machine and he is going after
that nomination without losing trick.