The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-07
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS
WANT INVESTIGATION
Postoffee Scandal Aired in the Senate With the
Republican Statesmen on the Defensive.
After Long Discussion an Agreement Was Reached for Further
Consideration Next Friday

vestigations conducted for the purpose Of
discovering crime are pretty worthless.
lie called attention To the congressional
Inquiries into the official conduct OF AF.
Machen, while he was superintendent or
free delivery.
MaChen," he said, Eat the very time fl
which he was engaged in the practices
for which he was indicted as a result or
the department inquiry and both cleared
him of the charges upon which the in
Quiry was predicate ted.
Mr. Carmack explicitly denied any in
tentiOn on his part TO reflect on the post
master general. but contended that all
that had been brought out emphasized the
necessity for investigation.
Prompt Action Assured.
Mr.. German said he was willing to have
all the resolutions calling for investiga-
tons Of the pOstoffice department re-
Ierred to the committees on p0stofflees
and post roads, as he had received assuT-
ances from the chairman that prompt ac-
ton would be taken.
In this connection, however. he said he
wanted TO call attention TO the fact that
all of the debate on this subject had but
emphasized the necessity of an inVesti-
cation of the pOstoffice department. lie
said he had no desire to investigate any
particular officer: that he believed the
investigation should be much broader
than that, as the irregularities had crept
BY degrees and the corruption possibly
had been a part of three or more admin
istTatiOns It now has reached a point, ne
said. where men who are corrupt them
selves have disclosed the corruption OF
others. MY purpose" he added. sis not
so much to expose this corruption as by
the action Of congress in making pTOtec-
tive laws to eliminate the chance of such
corruption in the future In the postoffice
Credit for Exposures.
Mr.. Spooner asked if Mr. German would
not be willing 10 supplement that sug-
gestiOn by calling on congress for
thorough investigation Of all departments
al state periods. Mr.. German answered
that he would be willing, but for the
present he was content TO deal with the
question in hand. Continuing, he declared
that the corruption was not a party mat
ger; that the present postmaster general
could not have been responsible for the
state Of affairs IN his department as It
started before he entered upon his duties
at the head of the department. He de-
clared it had been the policy of the presi-
dent to ignore his cabinet ministers in this
matter and give the credit for the expos
ures in the postoffice department. to NJ.
g. Seckendorff and William Allen White
newspaper men of sagacity.
The senator expressed a. willingness to
do Justice 10 the president lin this time
Of trouble in his official household but
said he could not understand why the
Republicans in the senate had persistent
~ refused to give to the minority official
information concerning the department.
He declared that the determination to ig
more the wishes of the minority had been
manifest al this session for the first time
since he had been a member of the SEN
ate. He called attention to the resolutions
introduced by himself. Mr.. Carmack and
by Mr.. PenrOse asking for the Bristow
reports Of the postOffice investigation and
declared that every effort to get this in
formation had been thwaTted by the Re
pubhcanS.
Denial by Lodge.
a severe depunciation of the charge of
suppression OF information was made by
Mr.. Lodge, who said that he was thor
Oughly tired of that old. weakened story
which had been made over and over again
by senators on the other side of the
chamber. He said it is quite true that
the republicans had nearly two-thirds of
the members of the senate and he wanted
to inform the other side that they were
thoroughly responsible for their conduct
of affairs. and that as they were respon-
sible they proposed 20 conduct their af
fairs in their own way. Continuing, he
said:
we are not afraid of daylight: we are
not AFRAID OF the senator from Maryland,
and, least Of all, We are not afraid OF that
old. tirne-worn story Of suppression of
public information
Arrangement by Teller.
Mr.. Teller arraigned Mr.. Lodge for the
statement that the republicans were re-
sponsible for the government by saving
that he wanted to place his Caveat on the
boast that the republican caucus would
do the business for the senate Mr. Spoon
er denied the republicans had a caucus
Afr. Teller said that perhaps II was
merely that the republicans had a leader
so suave and persuasive that he was able
TO control the republican votes and he
was responsible for the solid front Of
fered by the. republicans in the vote on
the Cuban bill.
Mr.. SpO0ner wanted 10 know f the DEM
ocrsts who voted for the Cuban biii were
controlled by the republicans. and Mr..
Teller answered that the democrats were
divided according to their individual be-
liefs
Mr.. spooner said that republican eau
cuses Go not bind the consciences Of sena-
tors any more now than they did when
Mr.. Teller was a member of that party.
The duty Of senators. MIR SpOOuer con-
unUed, was TO serve the interests of the
whole country and for himself he would
If he was to be controlled by. others.
Spooner's independence.
Mr.. Teller recalled that Mr.. spooner
thought that in late years there had been
growing tendency ON the republican
side Of the chamber to consolidate. He
spoke OF the duty of senators TO act in
accordance with their own convictions
when Mr.. Burton interrupted rim to ask
If he had reference TO the recent decis-
ion of the democratic caucus for party
soldity on questions Coming before the
senate. Mr.. Teller replied by saving thar
personally he knew nothing of such a
conclusion.
II do know. this however" he said
that while I sat on the republican side
Of this chamber I never yielded my per-
sonal judgment 10 q majority and ] never
expect TO do so so long az I sit here"
An agreement was reached to POSTPONE
Friday next, and at 2;54 the senate ad-
ioUrned.