The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-12
Charges Against Con-
gressmen to be Sifted.
SKINS THE SURFACE
The Searching Examination Of the
POst-0ffICe Department Urged by
the Democrats Defeated by
a Strict Party Vote. Tar
Heels Speak.
Heels Speak.
Especial to News and Observer.

tSpSCiSl " news anu OUSCfNeT.J
Washington, D. c., March lin the
House today the debate over the Bris-
tow report was fully up 10 the excited
standard that had been fixed by those
who knew of the Indignation and sense of
outrage that prevailed among Congress
| men touching that document Republi-
cans were quite as vehement in their de-
nunciation of it as were the Democrats.
In course of today's discussion speeches
were made by three North Carolina Rep
resentatives, Kluttz, Small and Pou. All
they considered an attempt to besmirch
the regulations of members of the ma
tioHal lawmaking body and explained
fully their connection with the best post
Offices nSmcd
Mr.. Pou u&aid he had lived a reason
ably long and fsusy public life, but never
had his record or reputation attacked, and
it had remained for "a scoundrel in the
Postoifice Department =, to attack it. He
strongly urged the necessity for investi-
cation OF The whole Postofi9ce Department
by Congress.
Mr.. Kluttz likewise condemned the
Postoffce Department for Juggling into
the report the names of Representatives
who are longer members OF the House,
some of them dead. Mr.. Kluttz said that
the name of former Senator Jetcr c.
Pritchard, of North Carolina, now a menl-
ber of the Supreme Court bench of the,
District of Columbia, had been dragged
into the report without any jurisdiction
whatsoever. Although Judge Pritchard is
OF a dierent political belief, Mr.. KluttZ
warmly defended him. He stated further,
that a former Representative from North
Carolina. Mir. Moody, now dead, had been
dragged into the report for no other rea-
Son than that he had secured an allow
ance OF $40 for postoffice in his ris-
trict. Mr.. Kluttz declared that the
hyena is the only animal that does no re-
spect the cerements of the dead. He de-
clared the Postoffice Department has en-
deavored to malign and hold up to the
country members of Congress who went
to the department with requests from
their constituents just as they go to every
other department. of the government. He
demanded that there should be a general
investigation OF the Postofice Depart
ment.
Mr.. Small stated that insofar as his
name was mentioned in the report of the
department he desired to state that there
was nothing rejecting upon his integrity
as Representative or as man. In mat
teIs before the Postoffice Department,
where his constituents were concerned, he
had endeavored to subserve their best i'm
terest and had been persistent in doing
Al, hof
in all matters OF non-partisan nature it
was the duty of Representative to serve
his constituents regardless of their party
affiliation or their position in life. So
| far as he knew every postmaster in his
district YVES a Republican. except in a
few fourth-class offices where no Republi-
can in the community could be found
In securing allowances for clerk hire in
obtaining. better equipment and increas-
ing the mail facilities he felt that he was
rendering the highest service to the peo-
pie. He considered the report an effort
to prevent further investigation The bill
appropriating sixty thousand dollars for
enlargement of the public building at
Asheville was today favorably reported to
| the Senate by Senator Simmons for the
| Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds, and was passed by the Senate
The bill was introduced in the Senate by
Senator Overman.
| Many women representing organiza
| tions Interested in the contest against Mr..
Smoot arrived in Washington today for
the purpose Of perfecting their plans and
waging a more effective contest They
attended the session fthe committee, and
before and after the hearings met in
CONTINUED on Page Five)