The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-08-25
Roosevelt and the Postal Frauds.

noOSCtSIt anu thO ootai ouuos
William Allen White performs a
public service in the September Nc
Cures in telling clearly and intelli-
gently the inspiring story of how
President Roosevelt uncovered the
frauds in the postal department. Mr..
White not only gives the facts con.
cerning this great illustrative SEN
sation, but he interprets their sigDifi-
canoe and analyzes both the tenden-
cies which made these frauds possible
and the newer trend which exposed
them.
For nearly thirty years, Mr.. White
claims, the occupation of public Off
cials has been growing steadily worse
under the fostering care of the party
system. He who exposed public Off.
GERS in their semi-legalized looting
has been viewed as an enemy of his
party. But recently there has been
visible growth of moral PERCEPTION in
matters political among the people,
and this force may compel the lever
of the party system to act for the
people. In the access of real moral
intelligence about their politics, in
the fixing of the trait of civic honesty
the people of the United States are
discovering an important function of
government. To bring about such a
condition means more for America
than the adjustment OF tariffs or the
establishment of any kind of
currency, argues Mr.. White. "The
real interest in American politics
is in the moral uplift in the
administration of the existing
laws given to the country by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. The most important
manifestation of this is found in the
way he cleaned up the corruption he
found in the pOst-offce department.
That story is one which the people
have not had in as exact detail as
they should have it to realize what
manner of man they are dealing with
in the White House."
Mr.. White then tells that story in
sufficient detail to inform all of the
essential facts, yet so concisely that
the whole miserable conspiracy is un-
covered almost at a glance.
| For years there has been crooked
ness in the post-office department, yet
so skillfully did the gratters cover
their tracks and protect their inter-
ests by cOllusion with congressman,
senators, editors and others, who
shared the benefits of their loot, that
no prosecution was even suggested
Official Washington knew the power
of the grafters and honored them.
And never hint of the conditions
came to President Roosevelt's ears
until Washington newspaper made
the gossip concerning them the basis
for series of articles. Washington
was aghast at such effrontery. The
| hS"oPoPSA was cOJSobtSu anu ito Sui'
tor discharged, but some of the honest
officials In Washingtonitook the mat
ter to the President, and he ordered
an investigation, choosing Joseph L.
Bristow, Fourth Assistant P0stin naster-
General, to do the work. Every pos
sible influence was brought to bear on
the President to stop the inyestiga-
tion, but with angry abhorrence for
the alleged thieves he went after
them as a TERROR goes after a rat,
and to-day the truth Is out and this
branch of the public service immeas-
urably clensed. Many convictions,
designations, fights and confessions
have followed the Investigations, and
dishonesty In the public service is at
q discount.
1t makes wholesome as we'll as In
teresting reading, this story Of public
duty fearlessly performed. and III
lessons must have = far-reachina
effect.