Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-03-18

who have been convicted of stealing
from the government. The names
of some Democratic members appear
in the list, but the Democrats are
having very little to say about it, and
seem to be taking the whole matter
good naturally. IL is the Republic
cans who are fosming at the mouth
and shaking their fists at the Repub-
licsn President.
But why all this rumpus? Has
anything new been revealed? Was it
not already known that every con-
gresham was in the habit of grab
bling everything he could get for bis
"deestrict' ? Is he not expected to do
so? What does he 60 to Congress
for, if not for the old flag and an ap-
preparation
Once Virginia congressman got
an appropriation of $25 900 to i'm.
prove q mountain stream, which
under no possible circumstances
could be made navigable. The money
was secured and expended in blasting
rock and cleaning out the ''channel."
Somebody asked the congressman if
he expected that the money thus ex.
pended would do the river any good +?
mo-" replied he, shut it will do my
constituents good"
And 80 it goes. The congressman
who does not hustle around and
secure appropriations for river and
harbor improvement, or for public
buildings, or for some other purpose
his services will not be retained for
long. 1t is a game of grab all through,
and there is no use now in pretend
ing that the report of Mr.. 0verstreet
is startling and reveals something
that We did not already know.
Congressman may feel sure that no
one of them will ever be turned
ont for increasing the pay OF a
constituent.
Congressman Swanson has put
himself on record against the adop-
ton of any embarrassing process"
by which the representatives men,
toned in the postoffice report may
have an easy method of escape.
SWANSON NOT DISTURBED.
Representative Swanson, of Vir-
ginia; who ismentioned in the special
report to Congress about postoffice
affairs, will make no speech about it.
When asked regarding the matter he
laughed as though il were incop-
sequential.
"The' cases in which my name 10
mentioned" ne replied, "are simply
those in which sent to the depart
ment petitions, letters, and requests
for increases in salaries and for ad-
ditional clerks at third class post
Offices within my district. Under
the law these matters are left entirely
to the discretion of the Postoffice
Department. / simply wrote letters
requesting an examination of these
petitions and recommended that an
increase be given when it was per-
missible and when it was thought to
he right. l know of no increase
made in my district in excess of
what was just and right. The largest
salary paid in such case in my dis
trict was 5000, at Chatham, for an
neutrality-suspicious., who works from
@ o'clock in the morning till 9
o'clock in the evening. If the same
official worked for the department
here in Washington he would receive
twice the salary and would work less
than eight hours day."
Mr.. Swanson said he would con-
tinue to refer all requests of the
mentioned to the Postoffice
Department, as heretofore, with rec
that what is right be
done. He added that he saw no i'm
in such action and should
it liz the interest of cousti-
tuents of his district. "The poorest
paid officials under this govern ment,"
Mr.. Swanson, "are the
clerks in the third-class postoffices,
which all these COM
plants have been made. An invest;-
CATION will show that they do more
work and get less pay than any other
class of clerks"