The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-12-31
The Postal Frauds.

INVOLVE many much higher in author
| ty than the legal proceedings indi-
ate. In their report they denounce
Perry Heath. the secretary of the Re
publican National Committee. in un-
measured terms and say that Charles
emory Smith, eX-Postmaster General;
Robert Tracewell. Comptroller of the
Treasury: Henry \. Castle, Auditor for
he PostOffice Department, and the late
| md present pOstmasters of Washing
ION, ID. c.. all appear to have shared
IL the responsibility for the acts of
he minor officials that have been in
licted. They also say that the ''Tul-
och charges have never been proper
| Y investigated. The far reaching grab
game of the minor officials has been de-
scribed by Kansas City paper In
way that will bring the matter home
% the voters:
whenever within the last ten years
| anyone in America mailed letter, the
chances were that he deposited 1t in u
etter box which was bought by graft,
painted by graft and attached to the
amp post by graft. He found what
time the letter would be collected by
| :eading time card put on the letter
pox by graft. The mail carrier who
took up the letter. if he lived in the
East. perhaps paid bribe to get his
lob or to get an increase of salary. The
postman placed the letter in a pouch
suspended from Il shoulder strap, both
Of which We're sold to the government
oy fraud, and carried it to the post
pffice. where. perhaps. some favored
or mulcted clerk Cancelled the stamp
with ink and machine fraudulently
sOisted upon the post department The
letter WAS then bundled up with other
mail matter, tied together with piece
Of twine or leather thong which the
government was swindled into buying.
and thereuDon thrown into railroad
nail bag: and this bag its fastener its
locks. its keys. became public proper
ty by three distinct and separate
crafts. Finally the laden bag was sent
off to the train according to the time
told out by peculiar clock, during
every tick of which Uncle Sam was
being Outrageously robbed and swin-
He'd
1t might be added that the greatest
graft has not been included, the rail-
:oads every time wheel goes round
charge Uncle Sam more than twice as
much for carrying pound of mail as
hey charge the express companies.
The postal cars even when standing
still are bringing rent to the railway
corporations equal each year to double
what they cost TO buy from the car
manufacturers.
Yet the voters i'm many States seem
10 approve this era of looting and go
an electing representatives of the party
whose morality has departed and
whose slogan is stand pat
Republicans Call This Prosperity.
The Hon. ]. G. Cannon said the day
the Republicans nominated him for
Speaker of the House. "The people
never were so well and perfectly en-
plOyed as now" That great Republi-
can leader, Congressman Hepburn of
Iowa, who, when he is speaking will
not brook interruption by any new
man in the United States who wants
to work finds employment in the great
labor fields Of the United States, and
at compensating wages"
How do the facts bear out these
strong optimistic assertions? On Oct
% the Boston Transcript, leading Re
publican paper, said:
Organized labor is facing the great
est wage crisis since the panic of 1898.
= 1t has been estimated that be-
fore the close of the year the big en-
plOying concerns of the country will
have discharged nearly 100000 men,"
On Nov. II, the New York Journal of
Commerce and Commercial Bulletin,
The greatest journal of this class in this
country, said:
1T would be folly to shut our eyes
to the fact that industrial and in turn
commercial depression are following
right along in the wake of the financial
collapse. Mills are shutting down; min
ing is being restricted"
The National Labor Tribune of Pitts
burg said. Nov. :1st:
There are still more idle mills
throughout the country than seemed
possible during the flush times of a
year or more ago. WHAT'S still more un-
pleasant to contemplate, il number of
the shutdOwns appear to be for good.
or nj least for an indefinite time
The International Mercantile Agency.
Of which eX-DirectOr of the Census
Merrism is the head, said, about Dec
9Th:
The week is characterized by fur
ther slackening industry Wages
of 100000 Industrial employees have
been reduced 10 per cent or more, and
preparations are making 10 effect Il
similar reduction with respect to 30O.-
600 others in various lines on or about |
Jan. 1st."
AS indicating the slackeniDg in in
dustry, we may note the falling off in |
the production of pig iron. The Iron |
Age of Dee. 10 says the production fell |
from an average of 100000 tons q |
month for July. August and September |
to 1.014.000 tons for November. and |
that Such Il drop within the short |
space of two months is altogether un- |
precedented in the American iron in !
dustry.' Yet it says that not only did |
the stock of unsOld iron greatly in |
crease during November, but that for |
the first week in December there was |
Il still furthe= falling off in production.
If. as has heretofore been supposed |
the iron and steel industry Is the |
barometer of business, then great ill., |
dustrial storm will soon be upon us.
OF course. those who choose to do |
so can accept the interested optimistic |
vaporings of their Republican states
men and discard the disinterested |
warnings of our great trade and labor
journals and of our financial and COM
mercial authorities. This is a free