The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-03
RURAL CARRIERS
FACE An INQUIRY

Charges Of Attempted Hold-up
Of congressman Are Made
Definite for Probing.
BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, Dec. at looks as if
the'charges Of undue and offensive poll
teal activity, brought against the Rural +
Free Delivery Carriers National assoc
citation during the late presidential cam
", and important changes made in the
rules governing this branch of the serv-
ice. if the charges should be sustained.
1t now appears that formal charges
have been made against the officers of
the national association, and that these
charges have been referred by the presi-
With the request that it investigate
them as speedily as possible and make
detailed report, upon which the presi-
dent will base his action.
If the charges should be found to be
sustained, such ehangessWill be made in
the rules governing this branch Of the
Of the offenses which are back Of them.
Charges Of 'Hold-up.''
It is charged that the president and
several other officers Of the rural car
riers national association attempted on
mild form of "hold up on the republic
can national committee and individual
republican candidates for congress- It
was demanded of the national commit
tee, among other things, that it should
see that certain republican candidates
for congress, whose names were given,
should agree to favor in congress, after
manded by the association. While no
direct statements were made, it was
easily inferred by officers of the nation
al committee that unless, pledges Of this
kind were promptly forthcoming the ru-
raj carriers would try to see that these
After waiting on the national COM
| mittee, these rural free delivery officials
saw about dozen candidates for con
| gress, and tried to secure from each Of
them statement that, he would favor
the proposed rural carrier legislation.
was Jesse Overstreet of Indianapolis,
chairman of the house committee on
postoffices and post roads. Another
was Speaker Cannon.
Laid Before Cortelyou.
The candidates who had been ap.
preached at once reported to the repub-
1ican congressional committee, in the St.
James building, New York, and Chair.
man Babcock thereupon laid the matter
before Chairman Cortelyou of the ma
tionals committee, who up to that time
had not thought of pursuing the sub
ject further. It was thought best, after
careful consideration of the case, that
the president should be acquainted witt
the exact situation.
It is understood that the case wal
reported to the president either by MI
Babcock or Mr.. Cortelyou. The presi
dent Immediately laid the facts as re
ported to him before the civil, servic,
commission, with the request that ther,
be speedy Investigation
1 During the last session Of congress
, the rural free delivery carriers wer,
given an increase IN salary from $500
to 1920 a year. There is now pend
i ing in both houses a proposition sub
mittsd bX Senator FsTbanks making
Years aervies lg the s propositie q
Ito which it 7f 81 s. Stood the carrier
q during the lad ssid Dental campaig1
q Ewere anxions st republica
national asonlIli and the several can
q didateg FOR con ssss referred tto. /
Nab : 80 t Ssp Rar en F4e
Delivery Carriers National association
and E. P. Woods Of Cherokee, Iowa, i
vice president. w. F. lumber of. Lock
port, N. y, is secretary, and w.
Fetters of :Bluffton, Ind, treasurer. I'll
executive board is made up Of II. c
Niven, Berthoud, Col; E. E. Dyer 0
Aurora, Ill, and F. A. Putnam Of Due
ley, Mass.
How many Of these officers aside frol
MIR. Cunningham were concerned in tn
ATTEMPTED tholdup'' of the nations
1committee and candidates for congress
has not been disclosed.
Defed by Speaker Cannon
Speaker Cannon was waited on by tn
carriers while he was taking his famo,
+ 'fswing. around the circle during tt
campaign. He grew, indignant when Il
TELLING his callers, with picturesque en-
phasis, that they couldn u tthold hi
up he ordered them out Of his car.
Similarly, Representative Overstree
when the matter was laid before him
New York by MI. Cunningham, ordere
;, tens Of thousands Of circulars r. 1 We're al
tributed in Overstreet g district, signt
by the president and the secretary
the Rural Carriers National associatio
advising voters. to support the dem
cratic nominee for congress because M
Overstreet had refused to say that
WOuAu oGdAu Ny Gu0 s1tS4SldC1OH LII WQlt
the rural carriers were interested.
There is o strong feeling among mel
ibers Of the two houses of congre
Iagainst the recognition Of any Of t
officers Of these associations Of FEEDER
employees as such. They come to Was
ington session after session and lob
IN the interest Of their particular sbil
and have come to be a great nuisan,
The action Of the rural. carriers a,
~ Ing the late campaign is the capshe
to an already full shock. Should Ct
a gress rule against them, these lobI
lists will hereafter be heard simply
Individual employees Of the governme
and not as ythe representatives of !
tional associations of employees. Sol
w of the. members Of the two, houses ha
even favored going SO far as to fort
the employees organizing sthemsely
into these associations, but such acti
would hardly be warranted. Obvious
it is entirely proper for these assoc
tions to exist for certain purposes. T
thing to which the government obie
is the organizing to influence legis
I ton.
MCLAUGHLIN BROS GREAT VI
TORY.
III At the International Live Stock
position in Chicago, Mclaughlin Brt
II with 4ho;r e4o