The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-26
VIII Continue to Prosecute the Inves-
tigatiOn Into the Affairs of the
PostOmce Department..
POLICY OF THE PRESIDENT
WRcNGDOING OF FORMER ADMINS
TRATIONs MAY BE LET ALONE.
Efforts VIII BE Directed to Prosecute
Cases Not Barred by the Statute
of Limitations.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, June 25.-Postmaster
General Payne did not appear at the de-
partment to-day. He is very much IA
tigued as a result of his arduous labors of
the past few weeks. He conferred with sew
eral callers and transacted considerable Of
fetal business at his rooms in the Airing
ton Hotel. The postmaster general will at
tend to-morrow's Cabinet meeting, after
which President Roosevelt will leave for
Oyster Bay In the absence of actual news
DEVELOPMENTS there is considerable gossip
relative to the investigation. Former Post
master General Charles Emory Smith had
a short talk with Mr.. Payne tonight. 1t is
assumed that the conference related to
Mr.. Smiths forthcoming statement relative
TO the Bristow report. The impression is
becoming general. even among administra-
ton critics, that the President and the
postmaster general are in full accord in
the policy with reference to the postal scan
dal The President does not believe that
corrupt practices in the department, on
which criminal proceedings are stopped by
the statutes of limitation should be fiaunt-
ed in the face of the public. The admin
istration is Furnishing its own criminals.
The point is made that 1t can do no good
to peer into the past, especially as the cor
ruption now known to have existed here
tofore traced to Democratic as well as
Republican administrations, and especial
ly in view of the fact that criminal prose-
cution is not possible at this late day. The
purpose of the administration as outlined
by a prominent official tonight Is to I'M
cover peculation or bribery wherever 1t Is
found in the department and wherever 1t is
possible to base successful criminal prose-
cution. The postoffice investigation is in
direct charge of Postmaster General Payne,
as it has been from the beginning. The
question Is such an important one that the
President and his Cabinet are consulted
grave matters affecting administration pol
icy.
Postoff1ce inspectors are gathering evil
dence in at least six or seven cases of al
legged fraud against the Postoffice Depart
ment, which will be presented to the grand
jury as soon as the government officials are
satisfied they have a strong enough case
to obtain indictments. These cases have
come to light since the recent investigation
into postal affairs has been under way. 1t
Is impossible to obtain any information as
to the identity of the persons whose acts
are under investigation as the officers hav-
ing the cases in charge will not give any
intimation regarding them.
The Presidents interest in furthering the
prosecution of the guilty parties was mani
tested in a long interview he had to-day
with Attorney General Knox, who called
with Holmes Conrad, formerly solicitor of
the Department of Justice, who has been
appointed one of the special attorneys to
assist the government in the postoffice
cases.
JOHN E. MONK