The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-04-12
DEFENDS MANY
He Approved OF the Course of the
General i'm Connection
partment-He Declared That the
President Was Firm i'm His Deter
NminatfOn to. Enforce the Law, and
Said the Recent Old Age Pension
Order Was No Violation of Law.

Washington, April 9.-In the SEN
ate to-day Mr.. Spooner took occasion
to reply to the Democratic structures
upon the conduct of the postoffice de-
partment, and before he concluded
that, traversed quite an extensive po-
litical field. He defended the course
of the postmaster-general in connec-
ton with the irregularities of his de-
partment, and charged that the effort
to secure a Congressional inquiry was
in the interest of party politics He
also defended the President against
the charge of violating the law.
Democrats. declaring that in nothing
was the President so much distin-
guished as in his determination to
enforce the law.
Mr.. Spooner expressed surprise that
Mr.. Simmons, for instance, should
have said that the poStoffice depart
ment inquiry was reluctantly be-
gun" He read from the President 8
that there had been no heSitancy on
the part of the officials of the post
office department. to undertake the in
vestigation, and declared that there
had been nothing in the record Of the
department to impeach the fidelity
of the poStmaSter-generaL Mr.
Spooner said that every word spoken
against Mr.. Payne in a recent debate
in the House stung the postmaster
general like a lash.
The Wisconsin Senator. condemned
what he called a slander against Mr..
Payne in relation to sending to Con-
gress charges against members of
Congress, in connection with the use
of their influence in poStoffice affairs.
Reviewing briefly the fact in regard
to the request from the House for in
formation in regard to members Of
Congress, Mr.. Spooner declared that
it had shown that the entire blame
rested with the chairman Of the House
committee. Speaking of the charge
of corruption. Mr.. Spooner advanced
the idea that there was much less
of it now than in former years. He
did not believe, for instance, that
a credit mobilier scandal would be
possible in the Congress of to-day.
Mr. Spooner said it would have been
impossible for the Senate to make
as complete an investigation as Mr..
Bristow had made under the PreSf-
dents direction, land I think" he
said that whatever our friends on
the other side of the chamber may
find TO say of the President. the great
mass of the people will agree with me
that from the beginning he has shown
that he will not tolerate wrong doing
in my official, high or low
He charged the Democrats in both
houses of Congress with having
adopted as a party slogan the declara-
ton that Roosevelt must be beaten" "
Why? Because they say he is a
law unto himself, a cZar, unsafe un-
sound, a law maker, law breaker
and the like. while the candidate on
the other side is safe and sound, calm
and judicial. Do you have to have
some one to testify that he is a Dem
ocrat? He has it now from Mr..
Cleveland, whose Democracy itself Is
questioned"
What evidence, Mr.. Spooner asked.
had Mr.. German that the President
is a czar. He would hate to believe
that Mr.. German meant to charge
that the Republican Senators had alb
dicated their functions as Senators.
but he had shown, that disposition
by charging that they are blindly
obeying some outside beheSt to ad-
journ Congress at an early date. AS
for himself he would admit that he
desired to adjourn He wanted 10
get away. not only because he believed
the business Of the session had been
practically completed, but because
he thought that Democratic members
ought to be allowed to get away end
consult with the people with the
end in view of having "the two wings
of the Democratic party flap together
so that they can select as a candidate
some safe, calm. silent judicious man,
who can be held up in North Carolina
as a trust-buster. and in Wall street
as man entirely devoted to the busi-
ness interests
Referring to the pension order, he
said, $50 far from violating law ne
had ameliorated violation Of the law
in 1898, when there was a Democratic
President"
He wanted to know how it had
happened that no fault had been
found with the original order. He
would not admit, in response to a
question from Mr. Overman, that the
pending campaign had Influenced the
, old age order.
The Senator says they will give
us a hard fight" sud Mr.. Soooner
referring to Mr. Simmons speech
| perhaps they will. but I believe the
people will elect Mr.. Roosevelt be
] cause they know him and know thai