The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-09-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
The past week has been one of intense
excitement in the Postoffice Investigation. |
Early in the week the District of Column
bia grand jury returned number of in
dictments but the names of the persons
indicted were closely concealed for sey-
eral days and meanwhile speculation as
to their identity ran riot, until final an
nouncement was made.
~
The entire story told by the indictments
reveals another link in the long chain of
evidence which has won for August
Machen the title of Prince of Grafters,"
for each indictment was occasioned by
some fraudulent scheme into which he
had entered and whereby persons selling
supplies to the Postoffice Department had
been made to pay him tribute. Since
1898, every mailbox in the United States
has paid its share of tribute to Machen,
as has every package mailbox, the little
device with which mailboxes are attached
to lamp posts, the paint on every mail
box, every carriers satchel the strap on
every carriers satchel, the leather case in
which carriers are supposed to carry their
registered mail, the indicators on all mail
boxes west of the Rockies and which
show when the next collection will be
made, and-the end is not yet, for there
are still dozen cases before the Jury,
and indictments even more sensational
than those thus far rendered are promised
for this week.
~
Another feature of the Postoffice situa-
ton which has attracted wide attention
has been the announcement that the
President ordered the special counsel re-
tanned to assist in the cases growing out
of this investigation, to first make thor
ough investigation of the now famous
'Tulloch charges" and that these men,
Holmes Conrad and Charles J. Bonaparte,
attorneys of wide repute, have been for
nearly six weeks engaged in probing
those allegations and formulating re-
port which is to go to the President this
week.
#x*
And still another Postoffice incident
has attracted wide attention. Postmaster
General Payne has removed Miss Hulda
Todd, a Delaware postmistress, and re-
placed her with henchman of Alice, the
Addicks Senator. This action has called
down upon the luckless Postmaster Cen
eral even severer condemnation than did
his fippant treatment of the Tulloch
charges and the editors of metropolitan
newspapers, regardless of party fealty,
have outvied each other in their drastic
criticism of Mr.. Payne and his policy. To
make matters worse, Mr.. Payne gave out
all interview in which he said that he had
removed Miss Todd because she was
POLITICALLY and personally obnoxious to
Alice" and later another in which he said
that the President was party to an agree
ment whereby the federal patronage of
Delaware should be divided between the,
Addicks and anti-Addicks senator's
*x*
Whatever may have been thought of
the sending of. the European squadron
to Beirut, there can be no denial of the
fact that it has had a mark eddy beneficial
effect on the Sultan, and that it has ma
terially increased the respect with which
the representations of the American Min.
lister at Constantinople are received.
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The first autccar ever built for the
American army has just been completed
and if it meets the expectations of its
designers it will be sent to Fort Leaven-
worth for test in actual field service.
This car is a travelling repair shop, equip
ped with every tool likely to be needed
on long march and designed to enable
the immediate repair of any army trans
port wagon, cannon or other part of the
march equipment, should such become
injured at point inaccessible to black
smithshops, wheelwrights, etc. In his
last general report General Miles recon-
mended the use of automobiles for the
transportation of troops but there are few
army officers who believe that the auto
mobile has arrived at a state of perfection
or economical production which warrants
any extensive equipment of that charac-
ter. 1t is probable, however, that the
autocar repair shop will have considerable
effect on the standing of that form of
vehicle i'll the army
Third Annual Tournament.
The third annual tournament of the
Rising Sun Gun Club will be held on