Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-11-30
posToFeIcE INVESTIGATION.

lHc p~u5touiCt iuftoI6oAAoho HhA
have just been concluded. q summary
Of which is published in this evenings
Optic. From this brief and the pres
ident's memorandum, given out 10 con-
junction with the report. 1t appears
that In December. 1902. Postmaster
General Payne and Congressman T..
lF. Loud, chairman Of the committee
on the postoffice and p~ost-roads, held
various consultations regarding the
postal service, and as a result OF these
interviews ID was determined that as
soon as possible after the necessary
appropriations could be made by the
congress an investigation should be
made Of the service, both Messrs.
Payne and Loud agreeing as to the
need for the investigation and the
time when ii should take place, Az.
cordingly, an increase Of 5000 In the
appropriation bill reported in January
was made for the express purpose Of
carrying on the investigation In ques-
ion The reasons for the increase IL
the appropriation we're known only to
the postmaster general, TO Congress-
man Loud, and to Congressman Brom-
well.
Shortly after information was laid
M
before the president tending to show
improper conduct on the part OF
Beavers of the department of salaries
and allowances and Machen, superin-
tendent OF the free delivery system.
Mr.. William Allen White also sub
United evidence OF the corruption Of
ITyner, assistant general attorney Of
the postofice department. The pres.
ident and Postmaster General Payne,
after due consideration. decided that
Fourth Assistant General Bristow
should make q thorough and com.
plete investigation Of the charges and
all matters that might develop In con
nection with them.
The country Is now fairly familiar
with the general results Of Mr.. Bris.
tow's work. Commenting on it Pres
liient Roosevelt says: Mr.. BristOw's
report liz a record of as thorough a
bit Of investigating work as has ever
been done under the government, {
As a result indictments have been
found against fourteen employees Of
the postofice department, different
ones having been indicted two, three
Tor Ave times. The indictments which
have been found against persons out
side the government employ brings
the whole number up to forty.four.
Many OF the indicted officials stood
high In the government service and
had friends among the most respected
and influential people OF the land.
lThcse friendsj sincerely believed In
their honesty and were ready 10 go
on the witness stand In their behalf.
Every possible expedicnt was resort
ed to by some TO shield the guilty,
even when their guilt had been fairly
established Hut the president hewed
70 the line and turned a deaf ear TO
the arguments anu pleadings Of one
and all. The guilty were to be relent.
lessly hunted down. dismissed from.
oficc and punished to the fullest OK,
tent Of the law. And so II has been
done. The extent to which corruption
had permeated the p~ostofice depart
mcnt Is astonishing and appalling The
result Of the disclosures will be a
more careful scrutiny OF the charact.
u 81 those appointed TO federal Offices.
ana d more careful supervision Of
their ACTORS after appointment,
The utterance 81 the president III
%concluding his memorandum on the
report is full Of food for thought on
The part Of every American citizen
who loves his country and would per
acinate her republican institutions.
The president says;
Those in the public service whose
duty Il Is must ever be yigilant IN the
detection Of w%rongdoinr. fearless Ii
its exposure, relentless III lis nrosecu
Ion but IN he last resort, when
everything which the public official
whether legislator, judge, Or executive
officer can 10 has heen done, II re
mains for the jury, drawn from, the
people and repre senting the people, e
Az esen,handcd Justice, shielding the
innocent. bur declining q b misled
BY any plea into r%cfraining from pun
ishnent Of the guilty
NO crime CALI for sterner repro
hatlon thar the crime of the corrup
Zionist in public life. and Vt the man
who seeks 10 corrupt him. The hriba
giyer and The hribe taker are equal
5y guilty Both alike sin against the
primary law of thr states safety All
questions OF difference In party policy
sink into inSlgnacanee when the PEG
pie OF this country are brought face
-