The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-07-02
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, June 40, 1903.

Washington, June 80, 1903.
President Roosevelt has announced
in semi. official way, that he intends
to stand by the Postmaster General
in spite of the popular demand for
Payne's resignation, demand voiced
by the best newspapers in the country,
regardless of party affiliatlon. More
over, the President appears to be
afraid to demand the resignation OF
Rand, confidential clerk to the Post
master General, although his unhtness
for place of trust has been clearly
demonstrated, especially in the repub-
lican press. TO every close observer
it is obvious that the hrst wish of
Postmaster General Payne is to mini
mize the scandal and convert the in
vestigation into a perfunctory inquiry
| such as he had in mind when he first
found that some sort of investigation
was inevitable. The determination of
the President is, however, regarded
with considerable satisfaction by the
democrats who say that the people
will be satisfied with an investigation
conducted along the Payne policy and
that they will appreciate that only a
democratic administration will be will
ing to lay bare the ulcers which have
long festered under republican admin
istration.
XXX
Having failed in his efforts to save
Perry Heath from being smirched as
a consequence of his official acts, the
Postmaster General, and to large
extent the republican press, is now
trying to make him the scapegoat for
all the corruption which the TulIoch
charges and the Brlstow reply reveal
ed. In this connection a bit of inside
history is interesting. Perry Heath
was charged with the fulfllment of
seven thousand (7ooo) } pledges
made by Senator Hanna dur
ing the campaigns which elected Han
ma senator and Mckinley president.
1t was for the purpose of fulfilling
these pledges, taking care of Hanna's
1000 debte, that Heath was made
First Assistant Postmaster General.
He did his work we'll and without any
qualms of conscience but now that
the facts have became public Mr..
Heath is charged with the whole re-
sponslbllity while Mr. Hanna goes
free from public censure. 1t is only
justice to Payne, moreover, to say
that he went into the Postoffice De
partment pledged to take care of
Hanna's friends, those who had CO.
operated with Heath and especially
Machen who had. by his manipulation
of the rural free delivery service, saved
many western republican congressman
from defeat. This is the secret of
Payne's attempt, clumsy and misguid-
ed but none the less sincere, to take
care of Machen and his crowd.
XXI
The existence of a miniature scandal
IN the Department of Agriculture was
revealed this week by a suit filed in
the Court of Claims by the New York
Market Gardeners Association which
seeks to recover ST. 5000 for supplying
seed for free distribution to the de-
partment. 1t appears that the above
company was found to have furnished
short weight packages, cheaper seeds
than the contract provi led for and
cheaper and thinner paper than the
specifications called for. Notwith-
standing these facts the contract was
awarded to this concern a second
time, the assumption being that the
contractor had "influence" with Sec
retary Wilson or with Assistant Secre-
tary Brigham. This year the contrac-
tor was guilty OF even greater viola
tions OF his contract than on previous
occasion and this, Notwithstanding the
fact that Secretary Wilson has placed
a personal friend, a man named K.
Bowie Holland in the company's ware
rooms at good pay to supervise the
packing of the seeds. Holland had
an assistant in his arduous duty by the
name of MARITIME but even with two
inspectors it is alleged that short
weights and cheap seeds were furnish
ed and other provisions OF the contract
| violated
XXX
A scandal in the allotment of the
lands in the Indian Territory has just
come to light, and it is said by an
official in a position to know that if
they ever become public the abuses
in this work will rival the corruption
just unearthed in the Postofice De-
partment. 1t is alleged that Indian
agents have certified to the Depart
ment of the Interior larger number
of Indians than existed on the reser-
vations in order that they might profit
by the extra number of rations and