The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-07-03
az ASTOUNDING RunoR.

true, then the people may wen tIoinoA0
for the country's safety. The story Is
20 unreasonable that one can hardly
believe il, and yet the present admin
istration has done so many things that
were unreasonable that the country is
hardly surprised these days at most
Anything il does. But the spectacle
of a president attempting to stine
and 10 hush up the uncovering OF
rascals in the governments employ
who have swIndled and stolen the gov
ernment's money by the Thousands, be-
cause Of future political consequences
involved, in other words because It
may endanger the president renomi-
nation next year. and later his chances
of re- election, is about the most re-
markab BILE thing even the remarkable
Roosevelt has yet done. As stated, IL
Is hardly conceivable that it can be
true. In the first place, it Is against
the presidents record. As reformer
In the position of Police Commissioners
of New York City his whole time was
given up to purging of the police de-
partment of the metropolis. Again,
as governor of New York State, he
stood out boldly for honesty in the adj
mlnistrat,on of the states affairs and
for incorporating punishment OF
those who debauched the states treas
ury. Later at Washington, as Assis-
tant Secretary of War, he was str,k-
ing partisan of the best public service
and an insistent prosecutor of those who
proved recreant to trust in any manner
whatever. And yet, since he has been
president he has made as many foolish
plumbers and reversed himself so often
that one could hardly be surprised II
even this last report should be true.
Mr.. Roosevelt is In mad Pursuit of
second term. And the least thing that
interferes with the realization of that
ambition agitates and alarms hum.
The scandals that have been unearthed
in the postofiice department have
caused a great deal OF talk. And much
of it mas been unfavorable, due In
the most part to the nnwise stand OF
Mr.. Roosevelt's Postmaster General,
Henry e. Payne, who has attempted
to thwart all investigations from the
very beginning. He has seemingly
tried to shield the criminals from dis
covery and prosecution, upon the sole
idea that 1t would hurt the admins
tration. Payne is nothing but a pro-
fessional politician, and was never tit
for the position he holds. His ideas
OF honesty seem to be not very strict
or scrupulous. And he and James
s. Clarkson. another professional poll
tician, but very powerful one and
the campaign manager. OF the presi-
dent, and Senator Tom Cat Platt, and
other powerful men in Republican
politics. have persuaded the Presi-
dent, according to the latest news
from the capitol, that the postoftice
scandals are hurting the party, and
that the uncoverlng of the postof11ce
thieves must be held up for while.
Ard the president, scared out of his
wits at the danger to his prospects for
next year, has evidently fallen victim
to their foolish advice. According to
the special, Postmaster General Payne
Monday summoned his four assistants
into his private office and announced
to them, by order Of the President,
that no further information bearing
in the slightest Oh the postoffice invest
igation should be given to the news
papers They were instructed to give
all CLERKS in their respective depart
ments the benefit of this informss-
ton, with the further injunction that
any breach of these instructions will
he considered sufficient cause to war,
rant the summary dismissal of those
so offending.
This is the story; whether there's any
thing in it or not, we can only cell by
biding time and watching develop
ments. But if it is true; or If the
future conduct Of the administrat ton
toward unearthing the frauds with
which the postoffice department has
been reeking for the past two months
gives any excuse for believing that it is
true, then it is the most disgraceful and
shameful proceeding in the history OF
the United States, and Theodore Roose-
welt, the strenuous, the most disgraced
man that ever sat in the presidents
chair. For the democrats, it would be
the best thing that could happen.
There would go up from one end OF the
country to the other such fell cry OF
indignation and horror that it would