The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-07
JUMPED ON HEATH
SENATOR CLAY OUTSPOKEN IN HIS
DENUNCIATION.
SAID THE GUILT OF HEATH
HAD BEEN SHOWN BY THE REPORT
OF BRISTOW.

Leading Part with senator Clay.
Lodge for the Administration.
Washington. Jan. 6.-Alleged irregu-
rarities in the Postofice Department
constituted the only theme in the Sen
ate to-day. The question came up on
motion first made by Mr.. Lodge, and
afterwards by Mr.. Penrose to refer
the Carmack resolution, looking to a
senatorial investigation of the depart
ment to the Committee on Postoffices
and Post Roads. The Democratic sem
ators resisted the motion and contend
ed that the country would not be salts
fed with an investigation made by the
department itself.
The debate continued for almost two
and a half hours, and was extreme
ly spirited from start to finish.
Senator Carmack resisted Mr.. Lodges
motion, declaring that if departmental
irregularities were to be Investigated
only by the departments themselves,
it would not be long until they would
be "a stencil in the nostrils of the
people" The only safeguard was in
congressional investigation, he said.
Mr.. Clay expressed surprise that
there should be any opposition to the
resolution, and called attention to the
declarations by Fourth Assistant POST
master General Bristow and Counsel
Tors Bonaparte and Conrad, that the
investigation should be carried further.
he declared that the BriStoW report
demonstrates the absolute guilt of the
late first assistant postmaster general.
Mr.. Heath He (Bristow) says himself
that this leading high official was
guilty, and the proof is overwhelming.
If this is true, Mr.. Heath should
have been indicted l will do Mr.. Bris-
tow the credit to say that his report
shows that the frauds of the Postoffice
Department originated in Heaths office.
II so, he must have cognizance of
them. Then why should the subordi-
mates in that office be indicted and
the principal be allowed to escape?"
Heath the Originating Offender.
Mr.. Clay quoted extracts from +he
Bristow report to substantiate his ar
| gument, referring especially to the
purchase OF cash registers, in which
connection Mr.. Bristow said that the
eiement OF or fraud could not be elimi-
mated. IF, he said, this report
speaks the truth, Perry Heath origi-
mated all the frauds in his office"
IF, he continued, "the report is not
correct the fact should be known and
Mr.. Heath indicated. If the charges
are well founded Mr.. Heath should be
indicted and punished" AS for him
self, he did not want to do any injus-
tice to Mr.. Heath or others and for
this reason he desired the investigation.
Reference also was made to the ne
gotiatlons with .. S. Richardson con-
corning the Montague indicator in
which Mr.. Clay said there were many
suspicious featuresl pointing to Mr..
Heath.
Mr.. Clay declared his conviction
from thorough reading of the Bris-
tow report that Mr.. Bristow had been
satisfied beyond a doubt that the
guiltiest party of all was the late first
assistant postmaster general, yet he
has never been indicted or arrested
In the interest of fair play in the
the interest of justice, in the interest
of good government and clean admin
istration." he said, there should be
an inquiry, and 1 am surprised that
my friend. the Senator from Massa-
chusetts (Mr LODGE, should object"
Mr. Clay also declared that the
President had reflected seriously upon
Mr.: Heath and had desired the retire
ment of Mr. Heath from the secre-
49, jan VI N'AC ANIPuOllCcth ANdLlOIldl
Committee.
Mr.. Clay was careful to say that he
intended no reflection upon Mr..
Wynne, the present first assistant
postmaster general. On the contrary,
he took pains to speak in high terms
of Mr.. Wynne, saying that he had
given material assistance to the de-
partment inquiry.
Mr.. Carmack made a general plea
for a senatorial inquiry. and the rea-
son given by him was the newspaper
report to the effect that the postmas-
ter general had not been in sympathy
with the Postoffice Department in
quiry when undertaken, and that he
had pronounced the Tulloch charges
to be hot air"
spOOner Spoke for Payne.
This statement aroused Mr.. Spooner,
who said that the charge did great in
justice to the Postmaster General So
far as the Bristow inquiry was con-
cerned, Mr.. Payne had been in thor
ough sympathy with it and had
placed the entire machinery of the de-
partment at the command of the Off
cial who had made this most remorse-
less inquiry.
Mr.. Carmack repeated the report
that Mr.. Payne had referred to the
Tulloch charges as hot air." and Mr..
Spooner replied that Mr.. Payne had
remained at his desk in this city, day
after Gm'y all last summer while the
inuqiry was in progress, notwithstand-
ing he was in very poor health, devot-
ing every energy to seeing that the
truth should be brought out and the
department purged Of every element Of
graft"
Mr.. Carmack declared the Irregular
titles in the Postoffice Department had
shown an inefficiency in the adminis-
tration.
Mr.. Spooner said there could not be
any disputing the fact that ineffi-
cheney had been shown and that ineffi-
begun in the Cleveland administration.
German ON Investigations.
Mr.. German said he was willing to |
have all the resolutions calling for |
Investigations of the Postoffice Depart |
ment referred to the Committee on |
Postoffices and Post Roads, as he had |
received assurances from the chair |
man that prompt action would be |
taken.
In this connection. he said, he want |
ed to call attention to the fact that |
all OF the debate on this subject had |
but emphasized the necessity for an |
Of the Postoffice Depart |
ment. He said he had no desire TO |
any particular officer; that |
he believed the investigation should |
be much broader than that. as the |
Irregularities had crept in by degrees
CONTINUED on Fifth Page.)