Arizona republican., 1904-01-07
MT. BristOws Report Dis CuSSed in the Senate
MADE A PARTY MATTER
The Democrats See in the Report, or Pretend to See, an Effort at White washing and Endeavor to Get Under the Surface.

Washington, Jan. 6.-Alleged irregu- laritieS in the postoffice department constituted the only theme in the sen ate today. The question came up on the motion first made by MT. Lodge and afterward by MT. PenrOse to refer the Carmack resolution looking to a senatorial investigation of the postof- flee department to the committee on postoffices and post roads The demo- cratic senators resisted the motion and contended that the country would not be satisfied with an investigation of the department made by the depart ment itself.
 The debate continued for almost two and half hours and was extremely spirited from start to finish. The reso- ton of Mir. Carmack, directing the postmaster general to send to the sen ate the papers connected with the post office department irregularities and providing for senatorial investigation, was taken up and MT. Lodge moved it's reference to the committee on post offices.
 MT. Carmack resisted this motion. de- claring that if departmental irregular ities were to be investigated only by the departments themselves it would not be long until they would be stench in the> nOstrils of the people"
 The only safeguard was a congress sional investigation, he said. MT. Teller expressed an opinion that the postOf- fee department would make a. thor ough investigation, but he contended that the legislative branch should re- tain the right to make an inquiry.
 Mir Teller said that for no other reason than that criminal charges were made against senators and members of the house of representatives an investi- gation should b. made. Later he spoke of newspaper reports that a lease of postoffice building was owned by United States senator and quoted press reports saying that the postofice de- partment had explained that the lease in this case had been made be- cause the senator's building could be secured at lower price than any oth- CT.
 That" he said, lis most astound- ing. When did the postmaster general or the president for that matter, get a right to suspend the statute forbid ding this practice?"
 MT. Foraker interrupted Mir. Teller to say that it was his understa tanding that the leasing of The building under consideration had been made before the building had come into possession Of the senator who now owns it; that the senator did not know of the lease when he acquired the building, and that he had been trying to get rid Of it since he made the discovery.
 If that is true" responded Mr. Tel Ter, the misrepresentations to which I have referred to are gross slander."
 Mir. FOraker admitted the correct ness of this inference. Mir. Carmack made a general plea for senatorial in- quiry. and quoted the newspaper re- port to ,he effect that the postmaster general had not been in sympathy with the postoffice department inquiry when undertaken and that he had pronounce ed the Tullock charges hot air.
 This statement aroused Mir. Spoon- CT who said that the charge did great injustice to the postmaster general. So far as the BI !stow inquiry was con- cerncd, Mir. Payne had been in thor ough sympathy with it and had placed the entire machinery of the depart meHt a. the command of the officials, who had made this most remorseless inquiry.
 Replying Mir. Carmack disclaimed any intention to charge Mir. Payne with cOmplicity or sympathy with the irregularities in his department. His suggestion was that of indifference to wrong and the natural inference was that if the inquiry had been left to him there would have been none.
 "In other words" said MT. Spooner. ''the charge is that he had no sympa- thy with wrong, but with wrongdoers"
 "I did not say that" replied Mir Carmack.
 Practically" commented MT. Spoon- CT. sententiOusly.
 Nor even practically that" MT. Car mack insisted
 Mir. Lodge said that congressional in- vestiSations conducted for the purpose