Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-06-11

is 9ikN tue NGSkni<lS pN bFNSSFNtkout
wait tin We hear the defence and the
verdi
Matoen'S case has been taken here
as a type OF the cases that have fur.
nished most Of the material for the
postoMee department scandals which
have flooded the press this spring, Il
was chosen partly because. as will be
seen, his opportunities expanded with
the growth az the bureau over which
he has held sway fer about ten years,
and his story illustrates the way in
which subordinate may in time come
to be greater man than his chief;
and partly because his long immunity
from exposure, in a place which is all
the time i'll a fierce glare of publicity,
shows how easy 1t may be to mistake
a commonplace shortcomtng for n
crime, hut how hard to prove il one,
Petty JeaIoustes IN the Department,
Then, there is another feature OF the
case which cannot he ignored. Mir,
Wynue entered the first assistant post
master scpeyalship With q strong sense
of the Importance Of that office and n
determination to be the head Of It,
Two OF his suhordinates, George w,
Beavers, chief Of the salary and al.
lowance division, and Machen, had
swung things independently SO long
in their respective domains that they
! were 10th to 80 back To the Old prac.
tice and submit everything OF inn
Iportancc to him, Beavers made up
his salary lists. and decided what post
offices should rent better quarters,
! just as Machen made up his routes
and set them going without consulting
! Mr.. Wyunc This did not suit the
fancy et the newer appointee at all,
| He found himself called upon to mp,
Iprovc orders and Sign letters whose
details he did not understand, and
concerning which he could get no sat.
I isfaetou, IL he made any fuss about
! il. the matters We're carried over HIS
head to the postmaster general In
every way he was made to feel the
comparative iusignitCance of his posi-,
ton as a flgurehead, The dcmoralt2a'
ton, real or fancied. which he saw
spreading from this treatment OF him
through the ranks Of the lesser EN-.
EployeS was CALLING In the extreme, He
would 30 into the room of a clerk not
under his immediate jurisdiction, but
on intimate terms With Machen or
Beavers, and find the young man sit.
ting with feet on table and cigar in
mouth. neither being removed during
the interview. Stung by these cX.
iperiences, he resolved to make the
chief offenders smart Beavers he
succeeded in ousting early; Machon
only a few days ago Both will figure
conspicuously In the official report of
the investigation when II comes out
How Beavers Became Valuable
Beavers entered the department, as
Mathen did. under the Bissell admins
tration. He was brought over from
Tho New York postotlice to take the
placo of clerk named Scott rather
nnponlal person who had made himself
ufrensive by insisting ON running his
office in his own oldtashioned way
Scott undoubtedly was often tactloss
aud pretty close listed, but he was
understood to have left the department
poor Beavers was big faced and
beaming, free handed when he felt
like it, confidential with nobody. He
acquired Il fine house, rode In his own
automobiles and had a good time gen
orally. The public scandals that have
clustered about him and viii DO
touched on In Bri&tGWS report Will
have to do with increased favor shown
by him 10 the postmasters at certain
IoHices and a coineidcnt Willingness on
his part TO accept presents from them
But thus far no proof Of crime In the
vulgar sense, has boon laid at his
door 1t is hard 70 trace the chain
connecting his receipt Of barrel Of
oysters with his increase of allowance
to a postmaster on Chesapeake bay
People draw their own differences, but
they are only differences after all A
Idmcct charge that Somebody" In the
salary and allowance Office took pay
for procuring the promotions Of clerks
! iii New York and other cities came ont
la while ago But ii was shown that
there was a significant relation be.
tween the date when a list Of promo
! tons was approved in Washington
avJ Tho 4,t1 ,,.E 80, ia tapupv Ypop mi