Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-29
Eurg 1u,ua 7lnnda Augst ~ l9o4

candidate. yet went obediently about
their work of nominating him, because
the people insisted upon it. Wellnan
said that the politicians and railroad
attorneys had little use for Roosevelt
William Allen White tells US why.
1t seems that the enormous and per-
sistent stealing done by Beavers anc
Machen were known very generally
among congressman and senators thru
both the Cleveland and Mckinley adj
ministrations. Postmasters who found
typewriters dumped on them without
having ever been asked for, bundle
straps and carriers bags forwarded so
greatly in excess of their needs that
they must be stored away in garrets
and cellars and time clocks furnished
to offices which had no need for them,
soon told their congressman of what
was going on. Instead of arousing the
congressman to the defense of their
government the information served
merely as tip in the game of poll
tics. Mr.. Congressman or Senator To-
Gated the men who were doing the
stealing and thereafter said knowledge
was used to force favors from the
guilty officials Machen being super
inteudent of free delivery service had
the granting of rural route favors ana
we all know congressman have been in
need of many. Beavers, as supertnten-
dent of the division OF salaries and al
!owances, was making his graft out OF
the sale of promotions and occasionally
could advance the salary of q congress
mans friend without much trouble. es>
pecially If said congressman seemed to
know too dangerously much about the
postal department.
Under these circumstances the presl-
dents determination to investigate
did not find many friends among the
politicians. And the greater number
of the republican congressman and
senator's frankly dislike Roosevelt
saws White. land would delight in see-
ing his downfall If it might be accom-
plished without their own politicai
ruin" When the president set upon
the tracks of the postal thieves the
very man to whom Beavers htd re-
ferred as that damned wolf Btistow,:
the politicians did not love hfN the
more. They were afraid it would nNrt
the party. The president followed hH
own notions, seven men were indicted,
convicted. fined and imprisoned, yes
nothing has done the party so much
good as this demonstration of Its ca
pacity to prosecute its own criminals
without pressure from the democrats.
"A man whom one class of thieves
hate says White. all thieves VIII
fear: that is why Roosevelt is regard
ed as an unsafe man in certain busi-
ness circles, where business methods
and traditions license acts which,
scraped of the veneer of high hnance'
are mere stealing That also is why
senators, seeing one of their number
hauled into court for representing
ret rich quick scheme, feel uneasy
lest lobbying for the Standard Oil or
for the railroad trust, or for the sugar
trust. or for the beef combine in the
senate may put them to the trouble
and expense of lawsuit with the gov
And finally, that is why rail-
road officials, who connive with con-
eressmen to carry tons OF franked con-
yressional mail up and down their
roads during weighing time, to increase
the bills against the government, get
restless when q man so powerful as
August w. Machen has a penitenttary
sentence in front of him and thirteen
untried indictments behind him. The
anpearance of one honest man In 4
group of thieves produces the instant
of the group. There
fore the postoffice investigation has or
ranized against the president dishon.
est forces in high circles and in low
circles"
Z