Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-10
INDIGNANT MEMBERS
Whirlwind of Protest tn con.
gross at Bristow's Report.
CALLED "a LIAR and SCOUNDREL'
The Report, Said GrosvenOr of Ohio.
"Was Conceived In ~Iniquity, Born
In Sin ana It's Charges Are
FaIse"-Want investigation

investigation of the postoffice depart
ment by the house OF representative
will result from the publication of the
report involving members of congress
in that connection was indicated BY
every expression possible short of O
vote in that body. With a whirlwind
of protest the report was taken up by
indignant members, their personal con
nection with it explained and epithets
hurled at Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow. I
"The Bristow report was conceived
in iniquity, born in sin and has trav.
eled it's course until it has struck the
public of the United States as a great
attack on a body of men as free from
wrongdoing, corruption, crime and ir.
regularity as any equal number of men
on the face of the earth.'
This was the parting shot of Repre-.
sentative Grosvenor of Ohio in paying
his tribute to the report.
"That document is the producer of a
liar II a scoundrel!' shouted Repre-
sentative Hill of Connecticut in max.
ing an explanation of his connection
with certain leases. He added that he
should vote both to investigate him
self and also the fourth assistant post
master general.
There is nothing In any of it to I'M.
pugn any improper motive or conduct
upon any member of the house," said
Chairman Overstreet of the committee,
who combated the idea Of an investi-
cation.
Mr.. Williams, the Democratic leader,
urged a complete investigation of the
whole postof1ice department and re-
ceived the hearty applause Of both
sides of the house and the galleries. 1t
soon was found that the two hours
which had been allotted to the subject
was not going to be near enough time
for the personal explanations which
members were demanding the right to
make, md a motion to extend the de-
bate was carried.
Mr.. Moon (Tenn.) insisted that there
should be an investigation covering
the postofice department and every
body connected with it, adding:
@Aho NhOSNNh ~ 5dAitSt hhCtliCl III
this house or in the department, should
be exposed" The membership of the
house, being accused, was entitled to
~vindication, as were also the depart
ment officials if guilty of no wrong.
But" said he, II take it that no SEN
sible man will deny that there is any
thing else but crime running all over
that department"
He closed by asking If the criminals
in the department were to be shielded
and declared the house should waive
aside all technicalities and meet the
matter.
Mr.. w. w. Kitchin IN. c. charged
General Bristow with having deliber-
ately suppressed important and mate
rial facts, facts he said, pounding
his desk, (which could not be over
looked and which were suppressed, in
my judgment, for the purpose of Civ.
ing a false impression to the country
and misleading the public"
Bristow's action, he said, was nei
tier courageous nor honest, but for
partisan purposes.
- hASN IN NOhiitiJ si
investigation" Mr.. Kitchin said. "He
undertook, in my judgment, to black
mail congress-, to silence congress and
to silence the country. 1t is a species
of intimidation"
He asked if the Republicans would
sit still and stop the investigation and
thus give the backbiters an opportu-
nifty to attack the character and integ-
rity of those whom Bristow had ac-
cused.
Amid a storm of applause lasting for
several minutes General Grosvenor
(O.), who was named in the report,
said that this was a pretty good speci-
men of the readiness with which the
newspapers of the country and the
great body of the people grasp a publ
cation or statement and ssum evil
where they might assume good He
convulsed the house by reading an edi-
torial which referred to Speaker Can
non and Representatives Payne and
Hill as having been taken ''redhand-
ed;' but, speaking seriously, he said it
was in accord with the views of 90 per
cent of the newspapers of the country.
The report was a malicious libel on 191
members of the house and senate.
81 submit" said he, 'that the inves-
tigation which the gentleman from In
diana has been a~pologizing for is an
outrage and a violation Of every prin-
ciple of justice"
IL will resign my seat tomorrow" he
said, pounding his desk, 'ff there is
anything irregular or improper in what
1 did"
Mr.. Hill Comm, likewise mentioned
in the Bristow report, denied that he
had done anything improper. He read
from the original papers and called at
tention to the omission from the Bris-
tow report of certain Endorsements
therein.
~ am going to vote for a resolution
to investigate myself and to investi-
gate the fourth assistant postmaster
general, he said, amid a round of APP
otr IInl1fap ~ - nOawr ~ Hhn rn-