The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-30

White House, Nov.

memorandum upon the various papers
submitted from the department of JUS
tice and the postofice department con-
cerning the investigation into the cor
rupt practices obtaining in the post
Office department, notably in the office
of the first assistant postmaster general
and in the office of the assistant attor-
ney general for that department. All
the documents in the case are herewith
forwarded to the postoffice department,
and will be held ready for submission to
the congress whenever it may choose to
ask for them.
It appears that in December, 1902
Postmaster General Payne and Con-
gresham E. F. Loud, chairman of the
committee on the postoffice and post
roads, held various consultations re-
garding the postal service, and Is a result
of these interviews it was determined
that as soon as possible otter the neces-
sary 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 it
should take place Accordingly, an in
crease of $1,000 in the appropriation bill
reported in January was made for the
express purpose of carrying on the in
vestigation in question. The reasons for
the increase in the appropriation were
known only to the postmaster general,
to Congressman Loud, and to Con-
gresham BromweIl.
Subsequently, sometime in January,
information was laid before me by Mr..
Seckendorff tending to show improper
conduct by Beavers, general superin-
tendent of the division of salaries and
allowances aud NaobaY7 eyapav.a1 e,,7,a,.-
intendent of the free delivery system;
and by Mr.. William Allen White tend
ing to show corruption by or under
Tyner, assistant attorney general Cor
the postofice department. First Assist
ant Postmaster General Wynne also in
formed me that he had become suspf-
cious Of the integrity Of both AIachen
and Beavers. After full consultation
with Mr.. Payne it was decided that
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow should make a thorough and
exhaustive investigation of the charges
in question and Of all matters that
might be developed in connection with
them. Mr. Bristow's report is a record
of as thorough a bit of investigating
work as has ever been done under the
government. After this investigation
had been in progress for about two
months it became evident that legal
proceedings would have to be under
taken against some of the offenders.
Owing to the Importance of the case it
was deemed advisable that special coun-
sci should be employed, and Messrs.
Charles j. Bonaparte and Holmes Con-
rad were chosen for this purpose.
Messrs Bonaparte and Conrad. in their
review of the report of Mr. Bristow.
sneak a fOI1rx4-c Ia
port an exceptionally able, candid, and
impartial review of its subject matter
and that it shows. clearly reprehensible
misconduct, amounting in many cases
to crime on the part of a number of
public officials It is a volumfnous docu-
ment, but this arises not from pro-
lixity, but from the nature of the mat
ters discussed. :. We heartily
commend the report and deem it's con-
clusions fully justified by the facts it
sets forth; and while regretting in COM
mon with all patriotic citizens that the
grave abuses of long standing which it
reveals should have grown up in the
postofice department, we consider the
exposure of these abuses and the at
tempts made to punish those RESPONSE
BILE for them work of the highest pub
lie utility quickly and ably perform
ed- In all that is thus said of the re-
port Of Mr.. Bristow I cordially agree.
The investigation made by Mr.. Bris-
tow discloses condition of gross cor
ruption in the office of the first assistant
postmaster general and in that of the
assistant attorney general for the post
office department. In the case of the
superintendent of free delivery, Afachen,
the evidence shows that his misconduct
began Immediately after his appoint
ment in September. 1898 In the case of
the general superintendent of salaries
and allowances, Beavers, it began soon
after he was appointed to that place in
1897 In the case of Assistant Attorney
General Tyner it has gone on for
number of years, but it is impossible to
say exactly when it began. A meIan-
choly feature Of the case is that with