The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-04-14
HOUSE COMMITTEE MAKES ITS
REPORT ON CHARGES CON-
CORNING MEMBERS.
ACTED ACCORDING TO CUSTOM
CONGRESSMEN ONLY FOLLOWED
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MEN
PRECEDING THEM.

of the special committee of the house
appointed to investigate the report
from the postoftice department, printed
under the caption "Charges concern
ing members of congress-" was made
to the house during the day by Chair
man Mccall. The report is signed by
all seven members of the committee.
The minority members, however, ap-
pend supplemental views.
The important phase of the report
is finding regarding the connection
of members with the business Of the
postofice department. This finding is
as follows:
after careful consideration of all
cases specified in the report so far as
they relate to present members of the
house of representatives, which the
committee assume to be the limit of
their jurisdiction, they have unani-
mOusly 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 profited finan-
cially in the slightest degree, or that
any member was guilty of improper
conduct in connection Herewith, or
that any member has done in connec-
ton with any of said cases anything
that did not appear to be within the
Line Of His Official 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
restrain within the narrowest possible
limits the action of members in con-
necti0n with postoffices 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 representa-
tives.
1'1n conclusion the committee would
direct attention to the fact that this
inquiry has come upon the house sud-
denly and without any notice to it's
members. Their correspondence has
been brought to the light with that
department of the government with
which their relations are most init
mate. In no instance is it likely that
they expected the letters which they
wrote would be published.
"These letters were written under
great variety of circumstances, in
haste and some doubtless by the pri-
Vate secretary of a member; some of
them formal and some of a personal
nature.
1T is to the credit aof the member
ship OF the house that correspondence
OF this character thus collected to-
gether should contain so little of an
unfavorable character"
Nothing to Evoke Criticism.
There is nothing in the clerk hire
transactions of members, according to
the report, on which a single member
may be justly criticised.
The report says the committee was
unable to nnd a single member who
knew what the secret rule of the de-
partment on which these allowances
are made was, and adds: "Secret
rules for the disbursement of public
moneys are not to be tolerated.
The comment is made that although
the lease section of the report from
the postofice department seems to
have been fairly prepared there are
some exceptions to this and says the
case of Representative Conner of
Iowa is one of these.
The views Of the minority, signed by
Messrs. McDermott IN. ~, Bartlett
(Ga.) and Richardson (Ala.), are de-
voted entirely to discussion of Mr..
Bristow, his connection with the clerk
hire case at Erie and Kingman, Kan,
and his duties to institute an fnvesti-
cation with the force Of inspectors un-
der. him wherever he suspects irregu-
1acities. Mr.. Bristow is criticised for
making rash statements and for fail
ing to report on the Erie and King
man, Kan, cases.