Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1903-05-08
P0sT0g ZOE INTERPOLATION.

5'0sTC9 TOE INVESTIGATION.
The scsldlls In regard TO the man ner in
whio2 the )stoflce Department has been |
conducted fer anumber of years have finally
Scocad "a ilvestigation. Serious charges
against high officials have resulted in aus.
pensions snd discharges, and the final re.
port q The iuvestlgators Is anxiously looked
for b. tie Bile.
Mr. So ur W. Tullock, for many years
aashleroi Washington city postofflce, has
msde the 70 owing statement:
'Iu come ton with all honest citizens,
Of 1orrss, la re great interest In the present
EFFORT Of ths Postof1ce Department 10 10.
yeaiigate itsslf. / doubt, however, If any
one, not eva those making the investiga
ton will syr ascertain or realize all the
ramlhosiic Of q certain coterie Of officials,
past and sent, together with their politi
cal hackers and participating friends. Very
few good things have lasted longer, been
enjoyed with greater effrontery, or been 80
protected by those high in authority and in.
fuence.
probably that Is pretty direct language,
but know personally what l am talking
about. have always refused 10 talk about
these matters for publication, though fire..
quently requested TO do 30. have realized,
however, that anything might say would
only be treated as the utterances of dis.
charged official, and come TO naught. De.
tailed charges at length were made In 1900,
the names OF competent witnesses were
given, and Postmaster General G. Emory
Smith was challenged 70 make an invest.
CATION. Those charges were treated as friv-
olous and civily dismissed by the officials
involved. They remain, however, unan.
swered to this day, and may yet furnish in
teresting matter for truly Jealous investi.
CATION
NJ was cashier OF the Washington city
post office for over twenty one years, and
was considered one of the experts In the
service. Iserved during the celebrated star
route Investigation and trial. Consequently
when the irregularities with which am
personally familiar occurred protested, and
very vigorously, and demanded everything
in writing for my own protection and that
Of my bondsmen.
II became what First Assistant Postmas.
ter General Perry 8. Heath called IAN obsta.
cle.' Mr.. Merritt, then temporarily residing
IN this city as an official Of the Postoffice
Department, was appointed as our local post
master, and he very summArily removed
the obstacle In less than five minutes after
taking possession OF the office.
1.-THE whole tendency Of the Postofflce De-
partment is to convert the local Office into a
mere bureau OF the department, disburse its
funds and appoint and promote Its employee
So strict is legislation covering the depart
ment itself that irregularities are more dif1
cult, but with complainant postmaster and
cashier, and more especially at Washington,
where personal directions without record
can take the place Of written, everything is
slmpli6ed, and one official OF the department
need not know what another is doing.
with regard to appointments or promo
tons OF personal and political friends or the
transfer of the same TO Washington from
some obscure Office just placed among the
classified, ell that is required is the action Of
the first assistant postmaster generals office
salary and allowance division.
at finds the money, designates the ap.
polntment or promotion or transfer and the
local postmaster keeps on adding additional
employees as directed, whether their services
are required or not, while other offices badly
In need have TO 60 without. The civil ser.
vice can always be got around when neces.
sary, rs seen In the appointment of cleaners,
charwomen, lsborers, financial clerks, aud
itors, mechanics and other excepted persons
irrespective OF the duties performed or
whether any duties are performed. The
same Is also true with regard TO the purchase
Of supplies and travelling expenses of de.
partmental officials. The local Office can
be made to pay the freight, and disinterested
officials of the department remain In ignor
ance.
"Prevlous 10 the appointment Of Mr.. Mer.
ritt, an investigation OF the accounts OF the
Washington city postoffice was being made
by an expert connected with the office OF
the comptroller of the treasury, after these
same accounts had been passed by the audi
tor of the Postofice Department
The officials Of the Postofice Department
who were likely TO be involved, had given
positive order 10 the local postmaster that all
communications received by him from the
comptroller were TO be brought to them i'm
mediately upon receipt, and that they alone
should dictate all replies.
"Unhappiy, before was aware OF this
order, an answer had been made TO the first
letter received. Direct personal and polit.
ical pressure was then brought 10 bear upon
the controler-the investigation was stop.
ped just as II was becoming interesting, and
the expert having IL In charge was removed
for q too jealous performance Of his duty,
presumably as 9 warning to others.
"The postoffice inspectors, who were fully
aware OF the existing conditions, were In,
formed that If they presumed too much they
too would also be removed. am creditably
informed, however, that Postmaster General
Bristow stood steadfastly by his man, and
demanded a thorough investigation Of the
Office Of the first assistant postmaster general
This was refused by Postmaster General
Smith.
II had an interview with Mr.. Smith just
after my removal. told him l had, OF
course, no hope Of reinstatement, but warn