The San Francisco call., 1903-12-09
IN TILT
WITH CORN AN
Defends Postoffice Department
Against Partisan Attack by
the Senator From Maryland
TELLER ON CUBAN BILL
Colorado Statesman Declares
Proposed Reciprocity Would
Benefit Only the Sugar Trust

investigation into frauds in the Post
office Department was the basis of a
sharp tilt in the Senate to-day by Cor
man and Lodge The discussion arose
over a motion by Lodge to refer to the
Committee on Postofices the resolution
introduced by Penrose looking to
Senate investigation into the conditions
in the department. German intimated
that the investigation by the depart
ment had been partisan in character
and said that counter charges had been
made against the men who had made
it. Lodge defended the departments
work and declared it was far more
thorough than a Congressional investi-
CATION would be. The resolution went
over without action.
Teller made a speech in opposition to
the Cuban bill. He severely criticized
General Wood and declared the bill
was in the interest of the sugar trust
Clapp spoke briefly, holding that the
Senate had absolute power in making
treaties.
GORMAN ENTERS OBJECTION.
German objected to the reference of
the Penrose resolution to the Committee
on Postofflces, saying that he could not
see why Lodge or any one else should
desire to stifie the investigation" The
President had called attention to the
irregularities in the department, saying
that the frauds perpetrated in the past
ten years had been greater than in the
past two centuries This declaration
he characterized as sweeping and hor-
rible" and he declared that no Senator
could afford to stand in the way of an
investigation in which the minority
party could participate. The money
taken, he said, had been fiilched from
the pockets of the common people. The
corruption had been so great that it
had bubbled uD to the surface, and this
had occurred because the thieves had
quarreled among themselves over the
plunder.'
II assert here as a Senator" he
went on, that there is evidence in
writing that there were frauds perpe-
trated by a high official, who was al
lowed to escape entirely. We want
facts The country is not satisfied
with the thoroughness of the inquiry
and wants the books laid open for in
spection in order that the entire truth
may be known. We want to aid the
President in turning the rascals out,
as we have no doubt that he desires to
do, and for these reasons we hope that
the inquiry will be undertaken"
LODGE REPLIES TO GORMAN.
Lodge said that, if he had needed
any further assurance of the correct
ness of his position that the resolution
should be referred, the speech made
by German had supplied it. He
charged German with incorrectly
( quoting the President and said that
the portion of the Presidents message
to which reference had been made ap-
piled to the frauds in ST. Louis and not
i to the postal frauds
! THE Senator from Maryland for
gets" he said, "that Congress has
twice investigated that portion of the
postal service found to be most at
/ fault. Both the Senate and House
have made inquiries. under the eyes of
friends of the Senator, and both gave
/ the department a clean bill of health.
( AS a matter of fact, there is nothing
more clumsy than a Congressional in
quiry, and the results of the depart
ment's inquiry, made under the direc-
ton of the President. illustrate the
great advantage the department, with
! its numerous detectives. enjoys over
any Congressional committee in this
! respect"
TELLER ATTACKS CUBAN BILL.
When the investigation resolution
was laid aside and the Cuban reciproc-
ity bill taken up, Teller opened the de-
bate in behalf OF the opposition, first
taking up the question of constitution
ality of the methods OF legislation un-
dertaken by the measure. He spoke of
! the possibility of executive encroach-
ment, saving that if the Senate was to
| be shorn of it's power it would not be
by the House of Representatives or by
any legal instrument, but in obedience
to the demands of the executive for a
! cowardly abdication.
| Teller said it was not true that the
bill would reduce the price of sugar. He
declared that the sugar trust would Sc
cure the benefits of the bill, although it
J is said 1t was intended to aid Cuba.
The powers behind the bill were the
owners of 10000, 900 acres of sugar lands
in Cuba, owned by American citizens,
besides the hundreds of millions of dol
lars of the sugar trust.
Teller said General Wood two years
ago had sent circulars to Senators urg-
ing the passage of the then pending
Cuban bill. an act that would have re-
suited in the cashiering of any other
officer. General Wood had sent out cir
culars, he said, early in September,
1901, to alcaldes and other municipal
officers in Cuba, urging them to pre-
pare demands on the United States for
reduction of the duty on sugar and
tobacco.