Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-04-19
ENUMERATION FOR
THE CONGRESSMAN
SPECIAL POSTAL INVESTIGATE
ING coMM1TTEE REPORTS.
MEMBERS HELD oUILTLEss
Committed No Wrongful Acts az
Charged in overstreet's Report
Severe Criticism Of
Gen. Bristow.


Severe Criticism of
Gen. Bristow.
Washington. April 13.-The report Of
the special committee Of the house ap-
pointed to investigate the report from
the post office department printed I'M
der the caption: Charges concerning
members of congress-" was made to the
house Tuesday by Chairman Mccall.
The report is signed by all seven mem
bers of the committee The minority
members, however, append supple
mental views.
The important phase of the report In
a finding regarding the connection OF
members with the business of the post
office department. This finding Is az
follows:
Guilty Of No Wrong Doing.
after careful consideration OF all
cases specified In the report numbered
1895 (the report OF the post office COM
mittee on charges against members of
congress'), SO far as they relate to pres
ent members Of the house of representa-
tives which the committee assume to be-
the limit of their jurisdiction, they have
unanimously reached the conclusion
that nothing has appeared in connection
with said cases that would justify the
finding that any member of the house
OF representatives has proflted financial
ly in the slightest degree. or that any
member was guilty of improper conduct
In connection Herewith, or that any
member has done In connection with
any Of said cases anything that did not
appear to be within the line of his OIL
cial duty according to long established
custom
Having reached this conclusion, the
committee feel constrained to add that
in their opinion it would be we'll to
make as formal as may be, and to re-
strain within the narrowest possible
limits, the action of members in con-
nection with post Offices and the details
of other executive matters, and that the
severance of members from work of that
character would augment the efficiency
of the house of representatives"
Explanation Regarding Letters.
In conclusion, the committee would
desire to call attention to the fact that
this inquiry has come upon the house
suddenly and without any notice to its
members. Their correspondence has
been brought to the light with that de-
partment of the government with which
their relations are most intimate. In
no instance is it likely that they ex-
pected the letters which they wrote
would be published. These letters were
written under a great variety of cir
cumstances, in haste and some doubt
less by the private secretary Of MEM
Der; some Of them formal and some of
a personal nature.
It 10 to the credit of the membership
Of the house that correspondence of this
character thus collected together should
contain so little Of an unfavorable char
acter Undoubtedly there are letters
which were carelessly written. The ac-
ton in some cases was not well consid-
cred. The statement found in some in
stances in some letters from the execu-
tive Office, that what was done, was done
as favor to the member, might we'll
have been resented But there is moth
ing in any Of the cases considered that
reflects upon the integrity of the MEM
bership of the house of representatives.
Bristow Held Responsible.
Before reaching the above conclusion
the report gives history of the COM
pilation and publication of the report
duplicating members. Its inception, so
far as the CLERK hire" cases are con-
cerned, the committee states, was with
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow, who ordered compilation Of
all cases, where members had made
recommendation regarding clerk hire
for the purpose Of securing evidence to
i Justify the assertion in his report on the
post Office investigation that "a hun
dred similar cases could be cited" Nine
| hundred such cases were finally includ-
| ed In this list and opposite each case
was placed the name of member Of
congress. The testimony Of First As
sistant Wynne is quoted in this connec.
| ton to show that the mention Of the
| members name in a case ibid not mean
/ that they had even recommended the al
lowance, but they were put there for the
| use Of the office, and in some cases when
only notice had been sent to member
4 that an increase had been made affect
dug an office in his district, although tht
member had made no request concern
ms the same"