The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-08-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.

from our Regular Correspondent

| Washington, aug. ., IJJ0
Deeply as they regret the discovery
! that corruption exists in the executive
de partments in Washington, republi-
cans here, and probably throughout
the country, are rejoiced that Presi
dent Roosevelt has had the courage
to probe to the bottom one govern
ment department and now contem-
| plates the thorough investigation 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 admin
! istration and The time ~ rot remote
when then democrats gained nation
al victory with the slogan Turn the
rascals out" That they might have
done 80 again had there been any
! lack of earnestness on the part of the
! President in investigating the Post
Office Department il admitted by the
wiser republican politicians, bat it is
| appreciated now, even by the demo
Gratis, that Mr.. Roosevelt has effect
ualy spiked any democratic guns
which may have been loaded with
charges OF corruption by inaugurating
| a thorough investigation of the Post
Office Department and by preparing
for top to bottom inspection of the
D
Government Printing ONCE.
! 1t was not with the expectation Of
| finding dishonest methods that Presi-
| dent Roosevelt determined to instt-
! ute an investigatigation OF the meth
DDS 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 80 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 administrative methods A
! rule Of the bookbinders' union which
limited the daily task Of all its mem
| bers first called the attention of the
| President to the eytrayagant conduct
of the government printing establish
ment and it il probable that TO that
| rule he charged much OF the increas
ed cost of the federal printing and
| binding but, to the surprise of many,
| the officers of the book binders union
| announce that they will welcome an
investigation as it will reveal the real
leak and relieve their union from the
odium of an unjust suspicion. While
there will doubtless be many Unbound
cd rumors of corruption in the Print
ing Office from now on, no one who
has witnessed the thorough methods
| and the courageous spirit which have
| characterized the investigation of the
Postoflice Department will tor nom.
ent believe that the President will be
satisfied with any superficial invest
igation' aud the general public will
rest assured that, when Secretary
Cortelyou, who by his high probity
won the respect OF the public and to
whom the conduct of the iuvestiga-
ton will be conhded has completed
and businesslike methods has already
his examination of the Government
Printing Office, he viii have left I'm.
turned no stone nor permitted the es-
cape his attention any improper
transaction In the words of prom.
inent democratic member Of Congress
VOW in Washington, "President
Roosevelt is stealing our thunder.
He il turning his own rascals out"
What is regarded ds the most i'm
portant and wide sweeping disclosure
in connecteot with the postollice in
vestigation has just occurred. The
Grand Jury of the District of Columbia
has just returned indictments against
eight persons, chief of whom is
N"S""' W = Ai''h'h' 'A' olutI seven
being Machen's Confederates in yari-
skemes to detraud the government
and rs result of which it is estimate
tina: Machen and his pals have di-
vided profits amounting to upwards Of
$4,000. the cases just disclosed being
eatlrely aside from previous indict-
ments of Machen which have been re.
lated in these letters. In addition to
those heretofore indicted and now in
dtcted again, the grand jury has re
turned true bills against William =.