Milford chronicle., 1903-12-04
ROOSEVELT ON
BIZ POSTAL FRAUDS
Loss Of Office Not Sufficient Punish,
ment For the Guilty.
SUGGESTS NEW LEGISLATION

Washington. Nov 80. - Preside,
hooseYelt's comment on the post
frauds has been made public. In il ?
reviews the causes which led to th
investigation and heartily endorses A
sistant Postmaster General BristoU,
report. After naming the 80 person
indicted as officials in the service an
- outsiders), the president names tn
ehlet offenders as James T. Tyner
FORMER assistant attorney general fo
tne postodice department: A. w
Maehen, former superintendent of free
aehVery, and George W. Beavers. for
mer superintendent of salaries and al
IoWances. In concluding, Mr.. Roose.
yelt says:
heartily approve of the recommen-
oation of Messrs. Conrad and Bona
parte that the statute of limitations bo
extended in the case Of government
servants to a period Of at least five
years, for the persons who in such no.
sitions OF trust engage in corrupt prac-
sices can ordinarily conceal their euilt
lot longer time than is covered bv the
present short statute of limitations
moreover our experience shows thar
outsiders claiming political influence
sometimes sell their influence to can
oldates for office. or in other words
blackmail these candidates. There /
should be legislation which will permit I
or summary dealing with such Offend /
ers.
However, the prime need is not now
legislation but the punishment Of
those who offend against existing laws
The postofice department is maxine
certain changes in the method of ad-
AllnlstFation' notably in the method of
inspection, by which the service will Z
De improved and the chance of corruD-
tion existing without discovery be
mlnlmized; but the only way to meet
the real evil is to punish the offenders
py removal in any event. and here nos
slbIe by prosecution under the criminal
statutes. In any great business. public
or private, wrongdoing is certain at
Times to occur. The way to guard
against II is vigorously to scrutiniza
the character of those appointed, care
iully TO supervise their actions after
appointment and finally to punish with
severity those who 90 wrong
All this is being done.
The immediate reformation of tb,
service by the turning out of the Of Z
enders is not in itself enough to meet :
ne demands of justice. The cases
gainst both those within and those
the post Office department. who
y their acts have brought themselves
'Ilnln the grasp of the law will be =
ushed with the utmost vigor Every Z
mort must be made to see that both the
elinquent official and the outsider, h
no shares his guilt are punished to
le limit of the law. In pursuance of
us policy the individuals above enu-
Grated have been indicted. In No wi
se has the Indictment been souabt
we where the officials of the govern 7.
ent were convinced cs the man,s
nit; and in every case the govern
snt VIII exhaust every eXpedient in VI
power in the effort to see that fus-
e is meted out to the offenders
lose in the public service whose dutv Pc
Is must ever be vigilant in the de- pri
.tlon OF wrongdOiug fearless in its
posure' relentless in its prosecution. oo,
IN the last resort. when evervthina
ich the public official, whether leg
itor Judge or executive officer can
mas been done. it remains for the
y drawn from the people and rem
entng the people. to do even-handed
lce, shielding the innocent. but de-
ing to be misIed by any plea into
aiming from punishment of tba ~ I
ty.
NO crime calls for sterner reproba- -
than the crime of the corruption
in public life and of the man who
IS to corrupt him. The bribe giver
the bribe taker are equally mai
Ly. Both alike sin against the
lary law of the states safety. An
liohs OF difference in party policy
INTO lnslgnilcance when the peo-
II this country are brought face 10
with a question like this. which Oh
at the root of honest and decent an
rnment. On this question and on he
lhers like it we can afford to have TT
VISION among good citizens. In TC
asst resort good laws and good ao- r.
itration alike must rest upon tba ~
basis OF sound pubic opinion W.
4 public conscience. an easv-goiny uTe
escence in corruption. infaIIiblv Ber
debasement in public life. and hin
in the end means the ten.
Of free institutions SeIf-govern-
becomes farce if the representa-
OF the people corrupt others or it "
corrupted. Freedom is
gift which will tarry long in
nds of the dishonest or of those } KIN
lisG isl or so incompetent as to toll you
in their public SER
Under our system all power
from the people and all punish than
esIs JsIs Ultimately with the people. pelle
re of the wrong, is the real Of
Lam
line.
'r Accidentally Shot His Son. and