Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-19

siderable evidence of passion on his
part, that the charges did not amount
TO anything. The postmaster general
went farther and took a stand in the
matter which will be certain to sub
iect him TO serious criticism through
out the country, and which is said to
be i'm defiance OF the wishes of the
president of the United States.
MIR. Tulloch, for instance, made
the charge, and supported it with
names and dates. that Assistant Post
master General Heath had appointed
persons to sinecures in the depart
ment and in the Washington post
office and that these favorite friends
were notified that they need not do
any work. and they did not do any.
These appointments have been no.
torious in Washington, and the peo-
pie were unprepared for the stand
taken by the postmaster general.
MIR. Payne declared that if the
name of any such person was submit
ted to him he would prosecute the
holder of the sinecure for stealing
money from the United States. This
declaration from the postmaster gen
eral himself will Immediately close
the lips of every one of these per-
sons and it will become impossible to
| obtain evidence TO sustain the charges
| made by Mr.. Tulloch, who was cash
Ter in the Washington postoffice at
the time and presumably knew what
he was talking about.
.''Tba IraSpnf criticism the
postmaster general for his open at
tack on the only witnesses to wrong
doing i'm the department has caused a
revival of the rumors that the head
of the pnstoffice department is not in
sympathy with the pending investiga-
ton, and, for political reasons. is do
| ing what he can to cover up the
frauds in the department.
There are many other points in
the TulIoCh charges which have caus-
ed sensation here. 1t is alleged, for
instance, that certain concern
which proposed to establish letter
box system in each house was granted
extraordinary favors in the depart
ment and was given the benefit of Il
letter which. although never actually
signed by the postmaster general
himself. was so cleverly worded as &c
create the impression that these in,
dividual letter boxes were required
by law.
Every householder in Washington
was annoyed by this attempted swim
die. and the scandal was so great al
the time that the postmaster genera
himself was compelled to put an enc
to it and drive the company out o1
the district The matter was husheC
up at the time and no one knew unit
the publication of the Tulloch charg
es that rule of the department haC
been violated and the names of resi-
dents had been given to "A private cor
poration by special order of the frs
assistant postmaster general.
"Mr. Tulloch also recalls the fac
that an attempt was IN; lie in the de
partment to force all bonded officials
to do business with Senator Platt';
bonding company in New York. Tha
such an attempt was made also is no
torious. An inspection of Tulloch'
charges shows that he mentions tn,
names of favored appointees an'
gives an abundance of data on which
to base rigid investigation. As
matter of course his facts date bacl
some years. because he was dismissed
from his position as cashier the da,
the present postmaster in Washing
ton, who was previously the third as
sistant postmaster general and a col
league of Heath, entered upon hi
new duties.
The general opinion here is tina
while the postmaster general ma,
feel justified in belittling the charge
made by TulIOch. the president is no
likely to take the same view of tn
situation.