Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-12-17
THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL.
Strict Justice to Ee Melted Out Under
Direction OF President
Roosevelt.

The complste report of Fourth Assist
ant Postmaster General Bristow on the
investigation of the postal scandals is
so voluminous that it will probably
never be read except by those who are
personally interested in the case or
whose official duty requires them TO read
1t. The general public will be content
with the abstract of the report which
1as been given out, with the president S
memorandum upon it. These show be-
yond any doubt, says the Indianapolis
Journal, that there has been a great deal
Of corruption in some branches of the
| department, beginning in 1899 and con-
tinuing down to about year ago.
An attempt will probably be made to
break the force of Mr.. Bristows report
BY attacking him personally, or by rep
resenting that the report is biased and
unfair. Such an attack will involve all
who have indorsed the report as able,
thorough and fair, including the presi-
dent. Mr.. Bristow was selected to con-
duct the investigation on account of his
reputation for Integrity, thoroughness
and fearlessness. Messrs. Charles j.
Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad, two
lawyers of high standing selected by
the president as special counsel TO repre-
sent the government, pronounce the re-
port AN exceptionally able, candid and
impartial review Of its subject matter"
and say: I'VE heartily commend the
report and deem its conclusions fully
justified by the facts it sets forth" The
president quotes these expressions and
says he cordially agrees with them
In the face of such Endorsement of
Mr.. Bristows report its force cannot be
broken by personal attacks on him or
by asse rtions that the report is unfair
Humiliating as it is to have to make
the admission, the public will agree with
the president that there was "a condition
of gross corruption in the office of the
first assistant postmaster general
(Heath), and in that of the assistant
attorney general for the postofIice de-
partment' (Tyner). The corruption did
not reach all of the officials or clerks in
these offices, but it involved several to
very damaging degree.
Two of the indicted parties have been
tried and acquitted one of them a gov
ernment employe and the other an at
torney. The charges against some of the
other are much more serious than were
hose in this case, and judging from Mr..
3ristow's report, it would seem that the
evidence against them is much stronger.
Public justice requires that the other
cases be brought TO trial as soon as prac-
ticable. The president evidently intends
hat that shall be done, for in his memo
'andum on the report he says:
The case against both those within and
without the post office department.. who by
their acts, have brought themselves within
the grasp Of the law. will be pushed with
the utmost vigor. Every effort must be
made to see that both the deIinuuent official
and the outsider who shares his guilt are
punished to the limits of the law In pur-
uance of this policy the individuals above
enumerated have been indicted. In no case
has the Indictment been sought save where
the officials OF the government We're con-
vinced of the mans guilt; and in every
case the government will exhaust every ex-
pedient in its power in the effort 10 see that
'ustice is meted out to the Offenders"
This has the spirit of "let 70 guilty
man escape" and that is all the public
demands. If any of the indicted persons
are innocent it is as important that they
should be yindicated as that the guilty
should be punished. The case calls for
strict justice, to the entire exclusion of
sympathy or prejudice.
GyIn spite of vindictive fire in the
rear, Gen. Wood keeps steadily at his
work of converting the Moros of Sulu
Indianapolis Journal.
JSince the Panama affair came to
head all the muswUmp newspapers
are warning people who live near Presi-
dent Roosevelt ana Secretary Hay to
be sure TO keep their chickens locked
up at night.-Detroit Free Press
Qnd).
u%The president finds the evidence of
corruption conclusive and that frauds
were perpctrated against the public as
well as against the government. He
says every effort will be made to con-
vict and punish the wrongdoers and
steps will be taken to prevent the possi-
bility of such frauds in the future
indianapolis journal