The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-04-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

WASHINGTON, D. c., March Goth.
Mr. EDITOR The Republican party in
Congress has this week done its utmost
to make a disgraceful record for itself.
That this record will be exhibited on ev-
cry platform, at every crossroads, during
the coming campaign, goes without say
ing. What it has done is to refuse by
strict party vote to investi gate the Post
Office Department-that breeding burrow
of scandal and corruption. In voting not
to investigate the frauds or punish the
Doodle snatchers the Republicans do not
by any means deny their existence, they
only deny the expediency of letting in
any more light When Bristow's report
was flung into the House with its charges
against 151 members, the guilty ones were
too angry to speak except in profane 81 =
ulations. They did not spend time deny
ing the accusations; they simply denounc
ed the accuser. Though high official Of
their own party, they called him a SLAM
dered and scandal monger, liar and a
scoundrel. Having dipped their tongues
in gall, they did not hesitate to extend
their invective to his superiors.
After weeks turbulence it occurred to
some members that there was quite as
much call for an investigation as for
vituperation, an d an effort was made to
have the House of Representatives do its
duty in this respect. To a majority of
Republicans the proposal to investigate
seemed an additional outrage. For two
days, during the consideration of the
Post Office appropriation bill they have
stormed and ragged against it and have
finally defeated investigation by a strict
party vote-altheugh the committee that
was proposed five in the House and
three in the Senate) would have been
They declared that it was mot germane''
their real objection, of course, being
that it was altogether too germane.
John Sharp Williams, the Democratic
leader, eloquently pleaded for investiga-
ton. "The only way we can secure hon
esty in the Post Office Department" he
declared, els by the gentleman with draw
ing his point of order or by the House
marching over it bodily. The people of
the United States are greater than Con-
gress, and they demand an Investigation
of the rottenness. Oh, won't you" he
pleaded, 'do something to keep tue great
body of American citizenry from believ-
ing that the Post Office Department is
Infamous" No; they would not do any
such thing, and they did not. The House
decided not to investigate-99 Democrats
to 1873 Republicans. General Grosvenor,
O., had declared that to investigate the
scandal "would be reflection upon the
dignity of the House." A curious notion
of dignity! The Post Office bill passed
at the close of yesterdays session.
The case of Senator Smoot of Utah will
not be decided till after the presidential
election, for partisan reasons Several
needy gentlemen. probably five will be
appointed "a commission" to visit Utah
during the summer and try to find out
why Smoot has only one wife. 1nciden-
tally, they can make stump speeches on
the way.
Scandals seem to break out all round
the sky this year. The postal scandal has
held the focus in the lime light but now it
is the Dawes Commission. 1t was organ
lied under Harrison to close up the affairs
of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian
Territory, and it has been kept alive by
favor of Mr. Secretary Hitchcock. A
committee reports that it is so submerged
in scandals and frauls as to have lost its