Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-06-27
THE POSTAL INVESTIGATION.
It May Develop Some Astonishing
Eacts,

The publication in the Sun this
morning of the fact that former Rep
resentative Loud, chairman Of the
postoffice committee, assisted in rail-
reading men into the classified govern
ment service via the Bakersfield, CAL,
route, has aroused a lively discussion
Of the probable sensational develop
ments at the trial Of former Superin-
tendent Machen Of the free delivery
service, which will be held next fall, II
the influence Of his powerful friends
fails to prevent him from being
brought to trial.
Interest in the character Of Mr..
Machens testimony in intensified by
the fact that, as published in the Sun
this morning, Mr.. Machen, when he
read a published interview in which
Mr.. Loud roasted the free delivery
service in general and Machen in par
ticular, grew purple with indignation
and surprise and declared:
( "By God, Loud dare not talk that
way about me. I'll put him on the
bum. I've got -letters,' letters, letters,
and, If necessary, I'll publish them in
every paper in the country"
Whatever Mr.. Machen may have to
say with regard to Mr.. Loud when he
takes the stand in his own defense Is
considered relatively uninportant COM
pared with the phoblematical charac-
ter Of his further testimony. The re-
lations Of Mr.. Machen with senators
and representatives and other promi-
nent men were known to be friendly,
in some cases even intimate. They
came to the superintendent OF the free
delivery service for favors.
Mr. Machen was always obliging'
The rural free delivery service has
been without doubt the most popular
branch Of the postal service, and Is,
therefore, an acknowledged factor IN
establishing the popularity Of senators
and representatives among their con-
stituents.
The investigation Of the rural free
delivery service up to the present time
has demonstrated that a considerable
proportion of the routes established by
the former superintendent Of the free
delivery service are to all intents and
purposes practically worthless from
every point Of view. The districts OF
certain members of the house Of rep
resentatives with whom Mr.. Machen
was more than ordinarily intimate
are plastered with rural routes, until
an official map Of the district showing
the intersecting routes looks like a
spiders web.
This is especially true in the con-
gress district represented in the Fifty
seventh congress Of Senator Latimer'
of South Carolina. Mr.. Latimer and
Superintendent Machen were warm
friends. One of the E.ost complete
country systems in the entire rural
free delivery systems Is In operation
in MIR. Latimer's former district, al
though a careful investigation has
shown that on some routes 75 per cent
Of the patrons can neither read nor
write, and do not receive on an aver
age half a dozen letters a year. AS
a result of this discovery, the alleged
country service" will be abolished and
only those routes retained which are
absolutely necessary and which show
by the quarterly receipts that they
pay"
This specific instance is only one OF
a large number Of the same kind, ana
interest in Mr.. Machen's testimony lies
I'm the fact that it is expected to snow
everything in connection with the es-
tablishemnt Of useless routes, and the
consideration that was returned ror
patronage received.
President Roosevelt had long con-
ference with Fourth Assistant Post
master General Bristow at the White
House last night. and the situation IN
the New York postoffice was gone
over very thoroughly. The president
Is following every detail of the inves-
LEGATIONS, and Is evincing particular
interest in the inquiry at New York.
The advisability Of summoning Post
master Van Cott to Washington was
discussed, and it is probable that ne
will come here shortly and be exam
ined by Mr.. Observation-Disclosures
dispatch of June 21, to New York Sun.
49, --------
No SURE THING MOTH KILLERS
Long experience has taught me never
to recommend a preventive for moths, y
said a Lexington Avenue druggist who