The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-14
POSTAL CHARGES
ESCAPED BY Lind.
TRIES no SECURE MONEY FOR
MINNEAPOLIS BUILDING.
Member from Minnesota Also Tries to
Get Additional Mail Service-Other
congressman Censured for Carrying
Out Wishes of Constituents-Bris-
tow Report Branded AS Libel.

From The Journal Bureau, Colorado Building,
Washington.
Washington. March 14.-As whole
the recent postoffice report regarding
the alleged violation by congressman
of postoffice regulations Is gross
both in congress land out, OF fair
minded men in both parties, and any
investigation which may be had of the
department. growing out of the report,
will not justify the suspicious to which
the report has given rise.
To bring the matter close nome, l
may say that the name of Represen-
tative Lind would have appeared In
this report had he been member OF
the house long enough. He has Tor a
number Of weeks been visiting the Of
flee of the supervising architect of the
treasury department, trying to secure
certain sums for elevators and other
conveniences In the Minneapolis pub
lilo building.
He has been trying to secure an adj
dttional rural delivery route from Ma
pie Plain, and has been trying to Sc
cure a daily mail service during the
summer on the south side Of Lake
Minnetonka- In each of these mat
tiers, it is fair to presume that he is
doing that which his constituents
things to which they are justly en-
titled. Yet, when other members of
congress have pursued similar policies
they have been held up to censure
thru the report which has recently
been made public.
There is no charge Of wilful VIOLA
ton Of the statutes. In three In
stances cited in the report members
of congress were the owners Of build
ings in which local pOstoff1ces were
located, but this violation of the law
was not wilful, as the report comedies.
Regulations Without Authority.
The other violations have been vio-
lations of the postal regulations. These
regulations it may be said, are CONTRA
dictory, illogical, incoherent, without
authority Of law, and in certain in
stances in direct opposition to law.
They have been accommodating for a
long term of years. New ones are
made by every incoming set Of post
office officials, for the most part with
out resembling the old ones, and SO
the matter has gone on, until there
isn't man in the world who can tell
what the regulations are as a whole,
or whether certain regulations are or
are not in conflict with certain other
regulations.
In the majority Of instances the
postoffice officials decline to make the
regulations public. Even congress-
can they find out, and yet there Is this
sweeping report which holds them up
to criticism on the suspicion that they
have done something wrong.
Both Parties Accused.
An investigation Is now almost a
necessity, because the public mind has
been poisoned by the original report,
and nothing short Of an investigation
will set congress right. Without an
investigation, there may be undesired
political results in close congressional
districts in November, both as to re-
publican and democratic candidates,
for the leading members Of both par
ties have been smirched.
There is no belief that an investi-
cation. would hold congress in session.
A special committee could be ap-
pointed by the speaker and authorized
to sit during sessions Of the house and
during the congressional recess, it's re-
port to be made public when COM
pleted. Congress could then adjourn
at an early date, as it has been plan
ming to do.
There isn't a member of the house
from Minnesota-and this statement
includes Representative Lind, the one
democratic member-who believes
that the report as a whole Is anything
but q gross libel on good men. The
man VINO IS responsible for the publ.
cation Of the report, Representative
Overstreet, chairman of the commit
tee on postoffices and post roads, has
injured himself beyond repair by hi.
lack of sound Judgment which the
case demanded. Had his foresight
been as keen as his hindsight, the re-
port would not have been, printed, ant
there would have been nothing of thu
present trouble.
w W. Ternana.