The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-17


master or any one else las to these it IS
possible, although hardly probable, that
he may have been misled), but actually
allowed Mr.. Beavers the illegal and fraud
ulent claim for expenses which, as Mr..
fee which Beavers did not and could not
legally hold and which no one, not even
the president, could have promised him
so as to bind the United States, either
legally or morally, to keep the promise
We find it impossible to doubt that Mr..
Heath, Mr.. VanCott and Mr.. Beavers
himself all knew the payment of this ad-
ditional compensation was expressly Ior7
expenses to evade this prohibition
The summary and conclusions of the
report are s. follows
As a result of our inquiry In the
''TullOch charges and of the consider
atoms hereinbefore set forth we have
the honor to report that. in our judg-
ment:
First-The discussion of the "Tulloch
charges" has revealed the existence of
deplorable and gravely discreditable
abuses during the years 1898. 1899 and
1900 in the Washington postoffice and
the office OF the first assistant post
master general
Second-These abuses involved con-
duct on the part of various public Off
Gals which was certainly often Illegal
and may have been sometimes criTni-
nal but such offenses. if committed,
were in all cases committed more than
three years before we were ordered to
investigate the charges and, so far
we are clearly informed, more thaS
three years before Mr.. Tulloch'S inter
view of May l.
Third-The evidence laid before us
suggests the possibility and even prob
ability but does not prove that abuses
may have continued both in the de-
partment and in the postoffice subse-
quently to the early summer of 1900,
when we lose sight of them, and that
in connection Herewith criminal acts
1a1 10
period of limitations.
SIMILAR CONDITIONS IN NEW
YORK.
Fourth-The report of Inspector
Crowell and the facts relating to the
claim of George w. Beavers, above set
forth, indicate the possibility that sim
liar conditions may have existed both
within and beyond the period of lini-
tations in the New York postofTice
F1fth-The persons primarily respon-
sible for the above mentioned abuses
and the resulting scandals appear to
have been Perry S. Heath then first
assistant postmaster general, and
George w. Beavers, then chief of the
salaries and allowance division, neither
OF whom is now in the service of the
United States
Sixth-Charles Emory Smith, late
postmaster general; James P. Willett,
late postmaster of Washington, now
deceased; John A. Merritt his success
sor in the said office, and its present
troller, and Henry A. Castle auditor
for the postoffice department. all ap-
peared to have shared in some meas
ure, their responsibilities; the late post
master general, for his seeming failure
Notwithstanding repeated warning, to
appreciate the gravity of their miScon-
duct and the consequent necessity for
its prompt and adequate punishment;
the two postmasters for liberation of
these abuses and obedience to plainly
imnTOnpT orders without or
apparently, protest and the auditor and
comptroller for not acting upon lax and
arbitrary principles in the administra-
ton of their respective offices whereby
the payment of Illegal and seemingly
fraudulent claims by the treasury was
rendered possible
Seventh-The employment of subor-
dinates in postoffices about to become
classed for the purpose of securing
their admission without examination
into the classified service was a prac-
tice in frauden legis and officials guilty
of it thereby established their own I'M
fitness for public employment.
Eighth-The employment of so-called
''laborers' to do classified" work was
clearly Illegal, and under the express
directions of the civil service rules, to
be punished by dismissal from office.
Ninth-An agreement by any public
officer with any person, whether in or
out of the public service at the time,
that the latter shall receive the emol-
uments of public employment under
pretense of being employed without
rendering any services to the govern
ment constitutes a conspiracy to de-
fraud the United States, and, if follow
ed by any overt act tending to it's ac-
complishment by any of the parties,
renders all of them responsible under
the terms of the United States Revised
Statutes, section $40.
Tenth-The detail of Thomas W. Gill
mer to different work of a lower grade
and at a reduced compensation by F.
A. Vanderlip, then acting secretary of
stances attending it was apparently
unjust and oppressive, and certainly
disastrous to the public interest since
it would be generally and naturally
understood by those cognizant of it,
as a punishment inflicted on faithful
public servant, who had, by the honest
discharge of his duty, incurred the en-
nifty of active and influential poll
ticians. 1t seems to have been preced-
ed by no sufficient inquiry on the part
of the acting secretary, Mr.. Vanderbilt,
and would render proper an investiga-
ton of the latter's conduct were he still
in the United States service.
Eleventh-While we express no opin-
ion as to the propriety of Seymour w.
Tulloch'S removal from the office of
cashier by Postmaster Merritt the pre-
cipitancy and liscourteSy shown by
the latter in effecting this removal
seem to have been without justifica-
ton and tend to cast grave doubts
upon the good faith of his explana-
lions of the removal itself and his
course was clearly regrettable in the
public interest as leading naturally to
| the belief that the cashier had been in
| fact removed for his failure to comply
with irregular and even illegal de-
mands upon the funds in his custody.
We very respectfully recommend:
| L That a thorough investigation be
ordered if it has not been already or
| dered (A) of the administration of the
Washington postoffice, CD of the adj
ministration of the New York postoffice
and Co of the administration of the
office of first assistant postmaster gen
eral within the past three years. It is
| probable that this recommendation has