Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-10
who will produce such a document as

that ?' -~
cused who did not feel that a great crime
had been committed and an infinite wrong
done them. This report, he said, would be
printed abroad, and it would be said that
in the American Congress there were 1911
rascals. If the Post Office Department had
some official whose judgment was SO
dwarfed by the opinion of a congressman
the official had better be turned out, he
declared The Bristow report. he said in
conclusion, was born in inquiry and con-
ceived in sin, and had travelled it's course
until 1t had struck the public of the United
States as a great attack upon a body of
men. as he believed, las free from wrong
doing, corruption. crime and irregularity as
any equal number of men on the face of
the earth"
There was prolonged applause on both
sides of the House as Gen. Grosvenor who
spoke with great feryor and earnsstness
took his seat.
Members Explain.
Mr.. Lilley of Connecticut who was
charged in the report with being a tech
nical violator of the law in leasing his
building at Winsted. Conn, to the govern
ment for post office purposes, explained that
within twenty-four hours after his atten-
ton had been called to the statute in ques-
ton he had made personal application at
the Post Office Department to have the
lease
ter General Wynne had asked him to delay
the matter that he might take it up with
the law department. He was informed by
a written opinion from the department two
days later that his election to Congress did
not invafidate the lease in any way.
Mr.. Butler of Pennsylvania, another
cused member, followed, and said he never
before understood the duties of representa-
tiveS, but he now conceived them to be of
singular and conspicuous inactivity"
He differed, he said, from Gen. Grosvenor,
and he would defy any one to close the
doors of the department to him. What my
constituents are entitled to- he vigorously
remarked, they shall have" and sneering-
ly added "Bristow or no Bristow." Who
ever had assaled him under the report, he
said, was coward.
Mr. Hill of Connecticut, likewise men
toned in the Bristow report, followed with
an explanation of his action in certain
post Office transactions, denying that he
had done anything improper He read from
the original papers, and called attention to
the omission from the Bristow report of
certain Endorsements therein. WAS it mall
ice or was it ignorance or what was it?"
he inquired. He had, he said submitted
certain questions to Gen. Bristow, answers
to which had been refused.
The House in Confusion.
81 am going to vote for resolution to
investigate myself and to investigate the
fourth assistant postmaster general" he
a copy of the report Mr.. Hill vehemently
declared: "That document is the produc-
ton of a liar and scoundrel.'
Mr.. Hill was loudly applauded. His con-
Guiding words had thrown the House into
confusion and Speaker Cannon had diff.
Guilty in restoring order.
Mr. Thompson of Alabama was the next
one of the accused members to give his
version of the specific cases cited against
him by the Bristow report. He character
ICED the report as Infamous and as having
for it's object the intimidation of members
in order 10 keep them from insisting upon
ton of the kind would keep him from ex-
ercising his duty as a congressman.
Mr.. Robinson of Arkansas demanded
investigation of the entire Post Office De-
partment, 1T having confessedly been UNI
able to conduct it's affairs with a fair de-
gree of seeming propriety." The Bristow
report, be said was an attempt to muddy
the waters" and prevent the House from
making a thorough investigation of that
department.
Mr.. Cooper of Wisconsin interrupted Mr..
Robinson and said he had been informed
by an old member Of the House that Gen.
Bristow, trembling from Illness" told that
member that he tBristow} had never seen
the report as 1T was now printed There
FORE" said Mr., Cooper, Il think the abuse
of him ought to STOP.
Mr.. Maddox OF Georgia. the last speaker
of the day, referred to the fact that the
report contained only one of the nine spe-
cific instances charged in the original ''in-
Mr. overstreet explained that that was
because the other eight were not sent to
the committee.
Mr. Maddox quickly took advantage Of
this reply, and said 1t showed that all the
data at the departments command had not