The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-02
PARKER OR HEARST,
BEVERlDGE ASKED
SIMMONS WOULD NOT SAY.
POLITICS WAS DISCUSSED BY THE
SENATOR'S.

Simmons Entered Upon a Criticism
of the Government for Not Inves-
tignting the POstOffice Depart
ment-Said Democrats Will Have
an Ideal Man for President,
WhereupOn Beveridge Pressed
Him Hard.
Washington, April lin the Senate
to-day Mr.. Simmons spoke in favor
Of the desirability of a congressional
investigation into Postoffice Depart
ment affairs.
Mr.. Simmons declared that the in
vestigation into the affairs of the Post
Office Department had been limited to
only one branch of the department, and
said that wherever graft was looked
for there graft was found that where
ever crime was looked for, there crime
was found; that wherever swindling
and corruption We're looked for there
swindling and corruption had been
found" If all this had been found IN
one branch of the department, there
was no right to assume that similar
conditions would not be found to exist
in other branches. Hence, there could
be no justification of denial of an in
quiry by Congress.
Mr.. Simmons said the reason the in
curry had not been extended to the
entire Postoffice Department was found
in tine fear that such a condition of
things would be discovered as would
make necessary an inquiry into the af-
fairs of all the executive departments
in Washington and that such an in
vestigation might uncover a condition
that would cause the defeat of the Re-
publican party in the presidential cleo
ton"
In response to questions from Mr..
BeVeridge. Mr.. Simmons said that he
did not doubt that if crime was brought
to the immediate attention of the Pres
ident he would disapprove of it. He
did not concede, however, that the
President had done any more than his
duty, and he repeated his charge that
1t had only been refused because of
fear of disagreeable developments.
Only Two Tried.
He called attention to the fact that,
Notwithstanding there had been thir-
ty-three indictments as a result of the
Bristow report, only two of the fifteen
! government employees indicted had
! been tried, and that it is now pro-
| claimed that both are Democrats
! Mr.. Beveridge asked if Simmons
would not cOncede that the source of
| the fountain head of the corruption
! discovered had been found in the last
! Democratic administration"
so far as Machen is concerned" the
North Carolina senator replied, "Bris-
tow says that is true"
MIR. Beveridge wanted Mr.. Simmons
| all % rtf n Ito
covered had conferred in Machen, but
Mr.. Simmons would only say that he
| had no information on the subject ex-
cept that supplied by Mr. Bristow.
In connection with the charges
against members of Congress, Mr.
Simmons asserted that while all in
! eliminating charges were given all the
exculpating charges have been sup
! pressed. He charged that the effort
! had been to divert attention from the
department, but said that the Repub-
lican party need not build any hopes
on success in that direction, for, de-
spite such efforts the postcffice frauds
would be an issue in the next cam
! paign. The fifteen states represented
! by Democratic senators had a right to
demand such an inquiry.
Does the Senator mean to intimate
that it may result in a Democratic
victory in the South?" Mr.. Spooner
sarcasticallv asked.
Roosevelt Already.
Speaking of the next campaign, Mr.
! Simmons said that the Republicans al
ready had in effect nominated as their
| presidential candidate the present oc-
cupant of the White House. De-
scribing the President, he spoke of
him as "a man of spectacular propen-
stiles, rash. hard-headed and impul-
sive a man believed by thousands,
aye, by millions, including many in
the Republican party, to be by nature
and temperament untitled, because
dangerous, to be entrusted with SUI
| preme power"
Mr.. Simmons then gave l. atten-
ton to the prospects on the Demo-
cratic side, admitting that there are
now fractional differences in that party,
but claiming that they would be heal
ed and that the party would give the
country "a candidate who would be
sober and of a judicial temperament;
of sound mind and judicial disposition;
a man who will get a large Republican
vote because Republicans will know
that their interests are safe in mis-
| hands. +"
A number of Republican senators
! demanded the name of the candidate