The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-17
FACTS COMING
OUT PIECEMEAL
Another Chapter o. the Postal
Department Scandal
c0HRAB.B0NAPARTE REPORT
PRESIDENT GIVES ORDERS FOR
PUBLICATION.

1uilocb. formerly cashier Of the Wash-
ington city Dostofice. again the ad-
ministration Of this 0fire was made
public today. Under Instructions. from
the president, the report views the
Tulloch charges from a. legal stand
point The report begins with brief
history ana nature of the Tuuoch
charges. H takes up in detail the
charges of improper appointments Of
subOrdinateE and improper disDurse-
ment Of Dubdic funds and finds that the
Charges were well founded. It adds
chat tho responsibility for Ihis extends
ln some measure TO the late postmaster
general vino appears to hive at least
tolerated the practice after notice of
ITS existence and TO the kate and the
present posnmasters at Washington,
each of whom appears to have accepted
the transfer to his office of a number
Of persons thus employed without. so
far as is shown, any protest or ex-
posture, facts substantially admitted 10
himself in Mr. Merits letter Of June
Touching the administration Of for
mer Auditor CASTLE the report stays,
''We might give further Illustrations
of the auditors apparent readiness 90
disregard the usual safeguards against
the unauthorized expenditures, bat this
Is needless because the same, h our
Judgment. regrettdble disposition was
shown in matters far more serious"
Salary Accounts.
I'VE have alrea dy seen that he not
only passed the ACCOUNTS for the clean
ers' or 'charwOmen' and of the assist
ants i'm passing on overtime claims, the
scene and character OF whose service
the inspectors could not find out from
the postmaster Of any one else (as to
these it is possible. although hardly
probable, that he may have been mis-
led) but actually allowed Mr.. Beavers
the Illegal and fraudulent claim for
expenses. which. as M. Castles own
memorandum says. really constituted
salary the salary Of an Office which
Beavers did not and could not legally
hold and which no one. not even the
president could have promised him so
as 90 bind the United States. either le-
sally or morally TO keep the promise.
Aessrs Conrad and Bonaparte. In con-
Guiding. find that;
1.-THE discussion OF the Tulloch charges
has revealed the existence of deplOrable
and gravely discrsditablc abuses during
the years 1895. 1899 and 1900 in the WASH
lnEton postOfficc and the office Of the
Ifst assistant postmaster general.
Acts We're Illegal
These abuses involved conduct on the
part of various public officials which was
certainly often illegal and may have been
sometimes criminal Iut such offernses fir
more than three years before we were
ordered Co investigate the charges. and,
so Tar as we are clearly Informed, more
than three years before Mr. IullOch
interview of May I last"
Bonaparte and Conrad find p0stoffice
department and postoitice subOrdlnates
reEDonsibIa primarily for the actual con-
dflous set forth in the report. but add
Charles Emory Smith. late post master
general; James T. Willett late pOstmas-
fer of Washington. now deceased John
a. Merritt. his successor in the said Of
ficc- and its present incumbent, Robert
T. Tracewcll. comptroller. and Henry A.
castle. auditor of the pOstOffice depart
ment, all appeared TO have shared. IN
some measure, their respousi DllNies; the
iatn postmaster general for his seeming
failurc. Notwithstanding repeated warn
ings. 60 appreciate the gravity of their
lnisconduct. and the consequent necessity
Tor ife prompt and adequate punisi nj.
~ TWO nostn1qrters for liberation OF
those abuses and obedience to plainly
improper orders without exposure. or. APP
rurentIy, protest, and the aUcitor amt
comptroller for actinE upon lax and ar
hitrary principles I'M the administration Of
their respective offices whereby the pay
meut of illegal and seemingly fraudulent
claims by the treasury was rendered pos
UNIT For Public Office.
The findings continue:
~'rhe employment Of subordinatcs in
rostofffces about to become cIassed for
Tie purpose Of thus securing their ad-
mission without eNomtpatlon into the
classified service was practice I'M
thereby established their own unltness
for public employment.
''The employment of s0-calied 'laborers'
70 DO CLASSIFIED work was cleorLy IT.
legal and under the express directions
OF the civil service rules. 20 be punished
10y dismissal from office.
can agreement by any public othcer
with any person within or out of the
public service that the latter shall re-
rnent under the pretense Of being en-
pioyed without rendering any services 70
the s9NefnInp,l- consume q coLslllle-l Z.
TO defrald the United States. and. tt
followed by any overt act tending TO its
complement hT any or the parties
renders an OF them responsible under
Inc terms OF the United States revised
statutes. section 5ftn.
Unjust TO Gilmer.
.The detail OF Thomas w. GJmer to
different work OF "a lower grade and az a
reduced COMPENSATION Oy r A. wander
lip. then acting secretary OF the treas
ury under an the circumstances attend
ms t. was apparently unjust ana op-
uressive. and certainty disastrous To- the
public interest. since it would be gener-
aiIv and naturally understood by those
cognizant Of il as a punishment INFLICTED
The honest discharge Of his duty. incurred
the eumity Of active and influential po-
liticians. It seems TO have been preceded
by no sufficient inquiry on the part oi
the acting secretary. Nanderup. and
would render nEoper an i4Fest' S3tloh 9l
the iatter's conduct were he stiu IN the
United states service.
While we express no opinion as to the
uronrictv OF Seymour W. TullOcns re-
moVaI from tine office 0f cashier by
Postmaster Merritt the preCipitancy ano
-rircourtesv shown by the latter en- cf-
rartine This removal seem 20 have been
without justification end tend 20 casi
lrave doubt upon she ao'l faith Of MS
explanations of the removal itself ana his
slrrsc was clearly regrettable in the
public interest AS leading naturally o.
fIa belief rEat the cashier had been III
fact removed for his failure Go comply
geitu irregular and even Illegal demands