Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-09-24

Sti4 another grave scandal ~ the pKe ~
admin sffatieB has come to light "a " 4e
She Republicans This time il the
General Land Office, Hugh F. Proc. Sur
yeyor General Of Arizona, having been dis
missed and w. +. Murphy, his chief clerk
having been suspended. It appears that
Price has been collecting large sums in ex-
cess of the legal fees from miners who
sought to enter land claims Although
allowed an ample clerical force, Price
would postpone the preparation Of the
claim papers until the time limit for the
entry had almost expired, then he would
demand fees Of various sizes for extra
clerical work It is intimated by those IN
position to know that there are probably
numerous similar instances, and it is
generally conceded that the time has ar
rived for an overhauling Of the entire De-
partment Of the Interior, save perhaps the
Patent Office, not less thorough than shat
now taking place in the post Office Mean
while rumors of serious scandals in the adj
ministration Of the immigration law by the
Treasury Department are beginning to be
circulated and no one can tell where the
end will be.
News Of a somewhat extraordinary pro-
ceeding on the part Of the President has
lust been received in Washington. Holmes
Conrad. who with Charles J. Bonaparte,
was retained as special counsel for the
government to assist in the prosecution Of
cases growing out of the post Office investis
cation. has arrived in Washington, and
states that for the past six weeks he and
Bonaparte have, by order Of the president,
been engagaged IN going over the old
Tullueh charges which the Postmaster
General characterized as hot air, "a
stump speech, 2 ETC., and which were vlgor-
ously denined by Merritt, postmaster Of
Washington, Captain Castle, auditor for
the Post Office Department, Comptroller Of
the Treasury Tracewell, and other officials
still in the government service, as well as
by former First Assistant Postmaster Gen'l
Perry Heath, former Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith and others. No one
knows what is the Presidents object, but
there are indications that the position Of
BristOw and Proctor, the Civil Service Com
missioner, both Of whom supported Iui-
loch. will be sustained to the great dis
comfort of the officials above named
Conrad described himself as a Liberal ke-
publican, . while Bonaparte claims to be
ssLiberal Democrat, which, being trans
| lated, probably means that neither men
has strong partisan bias, but both have I'M
sullied regulations for honesty, and the
public will receive with every confidence,
as will doubtless Mr.. Roosevelt, their VIZ
dict with regard to the Tulloch allegations.
Postmaster General Payne does not attempt
to conceal his chagrin at the action OF his
| chief and from the unguarded manner IN
which he has expressed himself on several
recent occasions lis believed that the Post
master General contemplates resigning from
the cabinet at an early date.
| 1t is believed, moreover, that the Iodu
case is likely to be the occasion OF a serious
falling cut between the Postmaster General
and the President. There is question o.
yeracity between Messrs. Payne and Roose-
Welt. and it viii be impossible for both Of
them to emerge from the present difficulty
with credit. Payne removed from Office
| Miss Hulda Todd, a fourth class post
master at Greenwood, Delaware, and ap-
pointed as her successor henehman o.
Alice. the Addicks Senator. Numerous
protests followed this action and Payne
explained that he had taken the action
because Miss Todd's term" had expired
and. according to an agreement between
Alice and Ball the Delaware Senators, the
| former had right to control the federal
patronage in that county. Protests were
| then sent to the President and he announc'
| ed that be had called on Payne for an ex-
PLANTATION of his action. To this Payne re-
plies with an interview in which ne say'
| that the agreement as made with the
knowledge ana approval 9. cue tb ass' pTes
| dent at Oyster Bay before the President
lleu iol any = a1sa for ra,ort N,