Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1903-11-17
SECRETARY PAYNE'S GOOD
WORK.
GOOD

Indianapolis JournaL-The filing OF
the Bristow report on the inyeStiga-
ton of the postof1ice department calls
for word of praise for Postmaster
General Payne. When he was APP
pointed to that position the appoint
ment was criticised in some quarters
as an unfit one and Mr.. Payne was
declared to be "spoilsman." This
was because he was a member of the
republican national committee, though
he had also a fine record as success
full business man of EnqueStioned in
tegrity. His large business interests
made it a personal sacrifice for him to
eral. and if he could have foreseen the
sea of troubles into which he was
plunging no doubt he would have de-
clined the position. The crookedness
and rottenness which have been un-
covered in some branches of the pos
tai service existed when Mr.. Payne
became head of the department, and
no inkling of it. The modification.
embarrassment and worry incident
to the disclosures were all to fall on
him.
The Investigation which is now prac-
tically ended has been one of the most
prolonged and thorough ever made in
any branch of the public service, and
at almost every stage OF it political
enemies of the administration have
tried to create the impression that
Postmaster General Payne was trying
to thwart the investigation. Shield the
wrongdoers and prevent disclosures
that might be damaging to the ad-
miniStration. This was consistent with
the charge originally made by the
same class of critics. that Mr.. Payne
was a spokesman, etc.
ThrnJ1uh oil thiS storm of 1oicranra- :
sentation and defamatory criticism,
Mr.. Payne has borne himself with cou-
rage and dignity, contributing by ev-
cry means in his power to the work
of investigation and waiting till it
should end for his vindication. That
has come in the shape of volum-
inous report, which shows that during
the entire course of the investigation
the committee was instructed to thew
to the line,' and that not the slightest
effort was made to shield any person
to whom wrong6oing was trade. 1t
also appears in the promptness with
which every person proven guilty of
wrongdoing, or even brought under
suspicion, was removed from office and
their cases turned over to the legal
authorities. The making of these
removals was in some instances a
painful duty for the postmaster gem
eral, but the record shows he did not
shrink from it for moment. He met
courageously the responsibility inher-
tied from previous administrations, and
never stopped until he had completed
the housekeeping which had been de-
ferred all too long.
The outcome shows that man can
be an active politician without being
a spokesman, and that membership OF
the republican national committee does
not prevent person from having d
high sense of public duty. OF course
the most importan result of the inves-
tigation as shown by the Bristow re-
port, is the complete cleansing Of the
postoffice department and the demon
stration that malfeasance in office in
evitably brings its own punishment
but among its incidental results not
the least is the vindication Of POST
master General Payne from charges
and inuendoes made against him
by political enemies for political pur-
poses.