The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-10
He Undertook to Black
mail Congress, Cries
Kitchin
We DEMAND INQUIRY
Others Protest With 0utbursts of I'm
passioned EIoquence Against the
Bristow Report, and Will
Iiams AWakens Roar of
Applause.
Especial to News and obervero


Washington, D. c., March 9.-The Sen
ate Committee on Postoffiee and Post
roads this morning decided against the.
proposition for further investigation OF
the Postoffice Department The House
Committee reached like decision last
week. But since that time things have
happened at that end of the Capitol that
promise to reverse the committees decis-
ion and to make certain an investigation
on the part of the House at least.
The Postoffice Department repH to
the Hay resolution calling for certain in
formation regarding the use OF ''inuence
by members of the House to secure IN
creases, etc., in salaries OF postmasters,
which was made public Monday, have
stirred up veritable hornets nest.
The debate on it today gave the House
the most exciting day, by far, that it has
experienced in many years, members who
are mentioned in the report arose in their
places and denounced the document and
it's authors in the strongest language, af-
ter pointing out what they considered to
its gross injustice to themselves and 9TH
ers on the Republican side.
Mr.. Grosvenor, of Ohio, called the re-
port IAN Infamous document Mr.. Lii
ley, of Connecticut, thought it was ''un-
fair and libelous,' and Mr.. Hill, of the
same State, characterized it as ''the pro-
duct of a liar and a scoundrel.
After declaring that he had not violated
the law, as the report made it appear, Mr..
Hill said the records in the case would
show him innocent, but he had been re-
IN ua OBJ Il. lnt
I'm going to have them, and I'm going to
find out who edited lem. Tn going to
vote for a resolution to investigate my
self and the Fourth Assistant Postmas-
ter-General."
This declaration was received with great
applause on both sides of the house.
Mr.. William Alden Smith (Rep), of
Michigan, vert even further than that,
saying facts ha been suppressed in the
erpoft that would clear the members OF
the House Of wrong doing and they could
be brought out only by a Congressional
investigation. He declared that the Re
publicans ought TO seize this opportunity
to order the investigation.
On the Democratic side every speaker
pointed out the necessity for further in
vestigation into the affairs of the Post,
the public service, but the self respect of
the highest law-making body in the land
made it imperative, they declared, and
every such utterance was applauded by
members of both sides of the House.
MIR. Kitehin declared that "the same
insincerity indirection and dishonesty
that the people of this country believe
exists the Postoffice Department char
acterZe the statement that it has ior-
warded to the House. He asserted it as
his opinion that the report was ''charac-
terlzed by politics and is partisan. In
support OF that assertion he pointed out
that while members on both sides of the
House were in it. in the case OF the
prominent Republicans whose names were
mentioned every material fact that served
to exonerate them from any charge Of
fact Was carefully put in. while in the
case OF the less prominent members on
that side and of all the Democrats no
such pains were taken and in many cases
if not in all, there had been deliberate
suppression OF important and material
facts which could not be overlooked. facfs
which were part of the record fled in
every case. ihese facts in my Judgment
were suppressed for the purpose of giving
to the country a false impression and
=
of this Mr.. Kitchin called attention to the
fuIlness OF detail regarding the Alton.
Iowa, postoffice it being in the district
of one OF the House leaders. the Franklin.
Indiana, postoffice in the district of the
chairman of the House Postoffta Com
mittee and the Watsego. Illinois. post
Office, in Speaker Cannon's district.
Mr.. Kitchin went on to say that the
charge that Congressman were implicated
with the grafters was originally made for
the purpose of preventing Congressional
investigation. But that when specifica-
tioDs had been called for the department
had not had the courage 30 meet the dc
mand boldly, specifying plainly tho in
stances in which the law had been viola
fed. sOn The other hand there was evasion
erG mixing of names in a way to cr~S
fuse the public as to who was the guilty
and who the innocent. This he declared
was done ITO blackmail Congress- to ST.
lonce Congress and silence the country.
itb that he came to his own part in
the report, the lease of the postoffice