The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-03-23

READY TO FALL
That Payne
and BriStOw Will
be Dropped

/ to the Record.Herald by Walter Well
man, President Roosevelt may ask for
the resignation of Postmaster General
Payne and Fourth Assistant Postmast-
er General Brs.ow.
What President Roosevelt said to
MIR Bristow yesterday in the white
house interview is not known, san
Mr.. Wellman But il is understood
that Mr. Roosevelt spoke his mind
very plainly about the stupidity. OF
worse, which induced some one TO per.
petrate this colossal blunder Mr.
Bristow says he did not prepare all OF
the report-only small part Of g..
But he stands as the responsible per
son behind it. and it was prepared by
his subordinates aeIng under his ord
ers II could not have seen the light
Of day at all but for his authorization,
and hence he Is the man who viii
have to stand most Of the blame What
connec ion Postmaster General PAYNE
had with the affair, n any has not as
yet developed. as Mr. Payne is H.
Besides IL is notorious that in regard
to all these scandals and alleged scanl-
ais Mr.. Bristow, and not Mr., Payne
has been running the pos Office de-
partment for some time. Itiis moi
quite as bad as Perry Heath said it
was-that Payne was nothing but
Bris ows rubber stamp'-but it Isl
something Ike that Both Payne and
Bristcw have done good work in fer
reting out the frauds in the depart
ment by Machen, Beavers and others,
and have had the praise of the presi-
dent and OF the country for their SER
vices. There Is, therefore, great eag-
erness to learn what spirit Of malice
or of ineptness. or desire to play
huge practical joke. prompted Bristow
or some one else to compile this re-
port. which would be ludicrous if it
were not so outrageous.
Payne Loses His Nerve.
No one wculd be surprised If the
blunder were 10 lead to the retire
ment from official life Of bo h Post
master General Payne and Mr. Bris-
tow. Mr. Payne is III at best, and has
lost his nerve. which never was any
too strong Mr.. Bristow has clearly
cutl.ved his usefulness. There are
blunders, said a wise man, which are
worse than crimes. and this must
S and in history as the greatest admin
istrauve and political blunder Of the
century,
Many Of the more indignant mem
bers Of the house have wanted to give
their committee power 10 investigate
the postoffice department iself and 'oI
throw light upon all the mehods EN-
ployed by Mr.. Bristo,w in running
down scandals. These members be
liieye enough information could be
found 10 make it impossible for Pres.
ident Roosevelt 10 retain Mr.. Bristow
In office. No one believes Bristow
has been guilty of any actual wrong
doing. such as participation in graft
or anything Of that sort. But X is
claimed his methods have been inn
perlous, tyrannical and, n some IN
stances. improper For months the
postonice department has virtually
been under the rule q lot Of de ect-
lives called inspectors. For the most
part these inspectors are honest men,
and have done good work But human
nature IS pretty much he same among
inspectors or detectives as with other
mortals. and no one looks TO that class
OF individuals as a rule for examples
of absolute purl of motive AID meth
cd Members OF the house would like
Ito know why ii IS that a good many
iof the officials Of the postofice depart
ment against whom no charges are
made. have been reduced in rank and
pay ana why inspectors have been pro
mo ed TO their places. In other words
they say it is about time TO mvest-
gate the investigators.
But It Is not probable either Presi-
dent Roosevelt or the leaders OF the
house wish to 90 50 far Their plan
is to ecnfne the inyestiga'i ion by the
special committee OF the house 10 the
subiect matter of this Bristow report.
They want TO know why such repcft
was made. who made a. on whose au-
thority il was sent TO the house, and
why the names Of l50 innocent men
were included in it IN such way as 20
throw discredit upon them II is prob.
able, therefore. the resolution author
izing a special committee win confne
the investigation to this one feature Of
the case.
Calls Report ldid ie.
Everyone Ia Washing on marvels
THAT President Roosevelt. with his