The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-16
GRlGGS LAUGHS
AT The HOUSE
SCARED AND TURNED TAIL
WHEN POSTOFFICE INVESTIGATION
WAS PROPOSED.

First, Said the Georgia Congress-
man, Republicans and Democrats,
Incensed by the ''Bristovv Report"
Said They Would Clear the Roof
OF the Old Thing''-FfnaIIy Wound
Up by the Republicans Investigate
ing Themselves.
Washington, March 15.-During the
discussion of the postoffice bill in the
House to-day the recent report of the
Postofffce Department regarding con-
gressional solicitation of clerk hire al
lowances and rental of quarters to the
government was again brought up. Mr..
Griggs of Georgia got into an argu-
ment with Mr.. Cooper of Wisconsin as
to the authorship of the document, and
insisted, over the protest of Mr.. Cooper,
that it was prepared under the direc-
ton of Mr.. Bristow.
Discussing the provision in the bill
that rural carriers shall not, after
July 1, 1904, solicit business or receive
orders of any kind from any person,
firm or corporation, Mr.. Griggs said
! that if these carriers were permitted
to act as agents he wanted the law
so framed that the carrier would not
become a dictator as to what newspa-
pers he shall carry or the trades peo-
pie he shall represent. The law, he
said, should require them to accept or
ders equally and impartially from ev-
erybody. He assailed the letter car
riers' organization for the manner of
making its demands upon Congress.
and said the carriers had made an eff
fort to intimidate Congress into acced-
ing to these demands.
He was interrupted by Mr.. Burleson
Of Texas. who asked if the executive
order prohibiting government employees
from lobbying before Congress was a
jest"
81 always have thought So" Mr..
Griggs replied, and he said further that
if he were representing the present
occupant of the White House as his
attorney, he would enter plea of
guilty and stop further investigation.
Called 1t "BristOw Report"
/ Mr.. Griggs referred to, the recent re-
port of the Postoffice Department as
the Bristow report" and this opened
UP afresh the discussion of that now
famous document which had brought
forth such a storm of Indignation from
members of the House. He said that
as a member of the committee he did
not see how they could have done
otherwise than make the report pub
lie. ~ eEs
WAS there anything in it which au-
thorized the committee to. print that
data under the heading, Charges con-
corning members of Congress" t>in-
quired Mr.. Cooper of Wisconsin.
Mr.. Griggs said he, of course, did not
indorse that and it was unfortunate,
whereupon Mr.. Overstreet, chairman
of the committee, explained that as
soon as he saw the heading he notified
the government printing office that it
was not justified by the manuscript.
Mr. Cooper sarcastically remarked
that he never had known the govern
ment printing office to print anything
that was not on the copy.
Il understand the heading was writ
ten in the Postoffice Department" Mr..
Griggs said in reply.
Mr.. Bartlett of Georgia said the
House soon would find out who was
responsible for it.
Mr.. Grosvenor suggested that it
would be wise to wait until the House
knew more about the matter, but Mr..
Cooper insisted that the report should
not be credited to Gen. Bristow.
Mr.. Griggs, however maintained that
it was Bristows report. Continuing
he said it had leaked out that the COM
mittee were in possession of informa-
ton that would condemn members of
Congress. In the committee, he said,
he had contended that if there were to
be leaks it was the committees duty
to make it public, which they very
properly had done.
Should Have Good Service.
1.-THE United States" he said, lis too
powerful and too great to convict any