The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-27
w. A. WHITES GRAFT STORY.

1nlS is what the chicago Record
Herald says of William Allen Whites
article on the postal frauds. a synop-
sis of which was published in the
State Journal:
While the article by William Allen
White in the September McClure's on
Roosevelt and the Postal Frauds
will naturally be regarded as time
ly campaign document, intelligent
Democrats and Republicans all over
the country will be interested in the
carefully summarized results of the
governments prosecution of crooks in
the postal department.
Getting down at once to the facts,
we find the concrete results of the
prosecutions Of postal frauds to have
been seventy-four indictments and
seven convictions as follows:
A. w. Machens convicted; sentenced
to two years in penitentiary and fined
$4,000.
Thomas w. McGregor, convicted
sentenced to two years in penitentiary
and fined $1,000.
c. Ellsworth Upton, convicted; SEN
fenced to two years in penitentiary
and fined $1,000.
George E. Lorenz. convicted; SEN
fenced to two years in penitentiary
and fined $4,000.
Diller B. Croft, convicted; sentenced
to two years in penitentiary and fined
$4,000.
Samuel A. Croft, convicted; SEN
fenced to two years in penitentiary
and fined $4,000.
Edmund H. briggs, convicted; sem
fenced to one day in Jail and fined
$4,000.
With the details of the trials of
these recreant public servants and the
nature of their offenses the general
public is familiar, full reports having
appeared in the daily press. Stories
of thieving in the postoffice depart
ment had come to congressman and
senators for several years. During
the three years last past Mr.. White
declares that probably not twenty
Republican congressman and senators
did not know of the corruption in the
postoffice department. Having this
knowledge, congress divided itself into
two bodies-the minority, which said
nothing of it. and the congressman
who found out where the crookedness
was and exactly who was profiting by
the crookedness. and used this knowI-I
edge to get favors from the bene-
ficiarfes.
The chief beneficiaries were August
w. Machen. superintendent of free
delivery, and George w. Beavers, SUI
perintendent of the division of salaries
and allowances. Crookedness thrived
in these departments because it was
to these men that congressman had
to go to get rural route favors and in
creases in salaries of Dostoffice clerks
and in rentals for postoffice buildings !
Commenting on the trail of graft run
ming through these departments Mr.. |
White says:
when it was stopped by President |
Roosevelt this crookedness was so far |
reaching that when a citizen went to |
the postoffice to buy stamp the cash |
register which gave him his change was /
full of graft, the ink used in canceling |
the stamp was full of graft, the pad /
which furnished the ink was full of |
graft, the clock which kept the clerks /
time was full of graft, the postmaster's
typewriter was full of graft, the car
rier's satchel tie-straps, his shoulder
straps and his badge We're subject to
illegal taxation, the money order blanks
were full of graft, the letter boxes on
the street were fraudulently painted.
fastened to the posts,
fraudulently made. and equipped-many |