The Washington times., 1903-07-03
No Place for PartisanShiD.
The Investigation of the Postofice De
partmeIt Must Be Free
From Politics.


In certain quarters there is a clamor
for a Congressional investigation of
the Postoffice Department. The
clamor is, as a rule, due to a desire 10
give the investigation a political and
partisan character 1t is the clamor,
III other words, Of Democrats. and. as
We think, ill-advised Democrats.
Few Congressional Investigations
have accomplished anything. They
are not intended to, as a matter of
fact. They are designed, primarily,
to put the party in power in a hole.
incidentally, also, to show how much
more virtuous the outs are than the
ms. No one, as a rule, gets hurt, and
IN the end the working politicians
wink at each other with the solemnitv
of Roman augurs. The public is the
only party TO the transaction that gets
fooled.
after we get through with this"
General Bristow was quoted as saying
some time ago, "there won't be any
thing left to investigate" We believe
II. There won't be anything left TO
investigate, if General Bristow has
his way. And that he will be permit
ted TO have bis way we may take for
granted III view Of the uncompromis-
ing determination of the President to
have the housecleaning a thorough
one.
Our Democratic friends are in no
position to elamor for a Congressional
investigation too loudly or too persist
emily. They are too thickly tarred
with the same stick themselves to
make the proposed investigation
partisan one But for their enthusi-
astie support tbe Machens, Tyners.
and Beaverses could not have hoped
for any great length Of time to carry
on their operations successfully. If
the Democratic party in Congress. IN
fact, had done It's duty the whole rot
ten mess would have been exposed
long ago. As far back as October.
1894, charges were preferred against
Machen, Bellman. Jones, and others.
They were promptly investigated" by
Postmaster General William /. Vii
son, the devoted personal friend of
Grover Cleveland. who referred the
charges to the persons accused, with
the inevitable result that their assev-
erations Of innocence were taken for
gospel truth.
The same charges were again inves-
tlgated in 1895 by the Committee on
Postofiice and Post Roads, Of which
Alr. Loud was chairman. Mr. Loud
seems to have reached the conclusion
that the scheme was not such a bad
thing, after all, for he didn't stop On
yestigating" until he had .'investi-
gated" himself into the good graces
OF the I1ng by acqutting every
mothers son Of them. Again. in 1897
the matter was brought before the
Senate Committee on Retrenehmeut
and Reform in the Civil Service. Of
which the present Judge Pritchard
was chairman, and Senator Lodge a
member. with the result that the
Machen gang was again acquitted.
No; instead Of a Congressional IN
vestigation, lei rs by all means have
one conducted under the direction of
General Bristow In such an investi-
cation there will be no looking 10 the
right or to the left. no attempt TO
gloss over things or to protect the
guilty, no distortion Of plain facts IN
the interest Of this person or that one.
no hesitation TO 60 "higher up" no
recognition of party lines, no pull
t. shield the criminal, and no "infoo-
enee" TO save those convicted of
wrong-doing from Just punishment.