The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-13
REPUBLICANS ARE PLEASED AT ACTION Roosevelt Glad They All Fell
 Into Line WILL COME UP IN SENATE Postoffice Matter to Be Made Most of By Democrats Who Want Re-
 pubicans to Go On
 Record.
WILL COME UP IN SENATE
BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.

Washington, March 2.-(Special1 1-The administration organ, the Star, today says the President is pleased" that no general investigation of the postoffice de- partment was ordered and that the re- publican members do not deny that they are glad they escape a general inyestiga- tion."
 This represents the almost unanimous view of the republicans here, and very naturally so. A thorough and non-parti- san investigation of the postoffiee de- partment even by q congressional com mittee composed of a majority of repub- llcans would uncover additional fraud in the department and make reasonably cer- tain the defeat of the republican ticket. The President is more than 'pleased;" he is delighted" not only because he has stayed off an investigation but because he has whipped the republican member ship in the house in line against an in- vestigation. The President feels certain that the corruption in the postoffice de- partment which his representative, Post master General Payne, styled hot air, . can be successfully defended by q gen. eral denunclation of wrong doers and ser- mons on honesty in public office.
 No Action in Senate.
 According to Senator Clay of Georgia, the ranking democratic member of the postoffice committee, the senate will take no action on the Bristow report on the dealings of members ol congress with the postoffice departments, which repert raised such row in the house. Ser, tor Clay sasz the report Is not worth considering. 2 he Georgia senator states, however that every effort will be made in the upper branch of congress by the minority to place an amendment on the postoffice appropriations bill calling for a general investigation of the postofflce de- partment.
 The democrats have, of course. no idea that such an amendment can be passed, but they want to get the republican party on record in both branches of congress. The debate in the senate on the post office bill will therefore last for some time and the evidence of republican fraud In the department eicited by the Bristow investigation will again be thor oughly aired. The postoffice bill Is now pending before the house and will be passed by that body next week
 Investigate Every Paragraph.
 It Is the intention of the house demo- crats to inquire thoroughly into every par agraph of the bill. The measure carries nearly s170,00000, which is nearly $2.000, ,000 in excess of the estimates and about sl6 100000 in excess of last years act. Much of this excess is due to rural free delivery increases.
 At the same time good percentage of last years bill was graft" as was shown by the recent investigation. Hence. if there Is to be an honest expenditure of the money appropriated by the present bill the question naturally arises is 1t not ex- cessive The discussion is expected to take a wide scope. and an amendment will also be proposed requiring the depart ment to make public charges which may be made against postmasters. Under the present rules of the department charges are indiscriminately preferred against a postmaster, and the department declines to give out either the names of those mak- ing them or their nature.