The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-07-08
FOR PARTY CAPITAL.
Democrats Trying to Build Upon the
Rascalities in the Post Office
Department..

The Louisville Courier-J ournal
prints from its Washington CORE
spondent an exaggerated and sensa-
tional account of the rascalities in the
post office department., with the con-
GLIDING statement: Gail of this reck-
less and criminal waste aud squander
of the peoples money, all of this rank
fraud, jobbery, robbery and corrup-
ton has been going on here ever since
the republicans came into power. One
tenth has not been found out, and
never will be until change of admin
istration occurs" 1t is to be expected,
of course, that the democratic party
will try to make capital out of the
recent disclosures. That is politics.
and the republican party would do the
same. But really it is not logical nor
reasonable, says the indianapolis Jour
nal. There are dishonest men in all
parties. and some of them get into Of
fee. There has not been an admins
tration by any party since the founda-
ton of the government which did not
have more or less disclosures of Off
cial dishonesty. The standard of hon
esty in the government service cannot
be expected to be much higher than
that which prevails in banking and
business circles, where embellishments,
breaches of trust and populations oc-
cur every day. The most that can be
expected of any party is to thorough
ly Investigate charges Of dishonesty
and let no guilty man escape. That
that is the spirit of the present investi-
CATION all must admit.
The statement that fraud. iobbery
and corruption have been going on
ever since the republicans came into
power. and that the extent of it never
will be known until change of adj
ministration occurs. is for political eff
feet. For many years before Mr..
Cleveland's first election the demo-
cratic rallying cry was "Turn the rae
calls out" and "Open the books" The
party leaders pretended to believe,
and succeeded in making many people
believe, that the whole government
and that there could be no improve
ment without change of administra-
ton. Well, the change came, the
books were opened, and they found
nothing wrong, Instead of finding
every department. of the government
honeycombed with corruption they
found them all in excellent condition
and without sign of corruption or
wrongdoing. The Cleveland admins
tration came in with large promises Of
startling disclosures and sweeping re-
forms. They found nothing to dis
close and nothing to reform. There
were as many arrests of dishonest post
masters, postal clerks and railway mail
clerks during every year of the Cleve-
land administration as there had been
in any previous year, and the standard
OF public service was not improved or
elevated in any respect. Neither was
it during Mr.. Cleveland's second adj
ministration. The charge that the
whole government is honeycombed
was during former campaigns when
the demand was ''Turn the rascals out"
and 'Open the books" That there has
been some rascality in the post office
department is undoubtedly true. but
the postmaster general is making a
thorough investigation. and under the
order of President Roosevelt. he will
"probe the matter to the bottom
The republican party can do its own
house cleaning. and after this admins
tration gets through with the post
office department there will be moth
ing for democrats to investigate.