The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-10
MEMBERS HOT
OVER HIS NERVE.
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any facts not brought out by the COM
mittee report.
Il say an investigation would elicit
further facts, and that these facts
have been suppressed" retorted Will
liam Alden Smith, amid loud applause
from the floor and galleries.
Mr.. Williams said he wanted the cor
ruptitNprAn the Postoffice Department
to be Investigated, not by the friends
of the men who have been guilty of
said that any investigation. of the
corruption, but by the House of Rep
resentatives.
AS to the Hay resolution, Mr.. Will
liams said it did not touch the ques-
ton that somebody at the Postoffice
Department has somehow included in
the report the name of man after man
in the House of Representatives and
in the Senate guilty of apparent wrong,
guilty of no violation of any law,
guilty of no moral obliquity, guilty of
nothing that bears even the lingo of
criminality."
What was the motive of it?" he
vigorously inquired. Wasn't it to
give the Congress notice that the de-
partment held. something over Con-
gress and that Congress had better let
the department alone?" he inquired,
his words being drowned by applause
from both sides.
Were Republican Thieves.
Mr.. Hay Of Virginia said he did not
altogether agree with Mr.. Williams.
II believe there ought to be an in
vestigation of the Postoffice Depart
ment, and along with it an investiga-
ton of these charges against men,
bers."
Mr.. Cooper of Wisconsin declared that
President Roosevelt had directed the
prosecution of members of his own
party.
Mr.. Moon of Tennessee, facing the
Republican side, said:
"These thieves being yours and not
ours it is for you, not us, to say if
they shall have your protection"
Mr.. Underwood of Alabama said that
no man who is innocent is afraid to
face such charges as these. But" he
said, IF a man is guilty he ought to
be required to appear before the bar of
the House."
Mr.. Overstreet then withdrew his
motion to postpone, and the House pro-
coded to discuss the resolution.
Mr.. Overstreet, referring to the rec
concentrations made by members of
Congress, said that there was in no
instance any violation of any law
whatever by any member of Congress
in making any recommendation either
for increase of clerk hire allowance or
increase of rent of postoffice build
ings."
The resolution proposes an investiga-
ton by five members of this body, ne
said, whereas a committee of seventeen
members, representing an equal num-
Der of states, of both parties in politics
which has already had before it in a
proper way this information has unani-
| mously reported to the House that
there is no need for further investiga-
| I'm NJ
ton elicit additional facts sufficient to
change it's conclusions.
Should Expose the Guilty.
Mr. Moon of Tennessee insisted that
there should be an investigation COW
ering the Postoffice Department and
everybody connected with it, and
whoever is guilty." he said, whether
| in this House or in the department.
| should be exposed" The membership
| of the House being accused, he said
| was entitled to vindication, as were
also the department officials if guilty
| of no wrong, but" he said, II take
it that no sensible man will deny that
| there is anything else but crime run
! ming all over that department"
/ w. w. Kitchin of North Carolina
| severely criticised Gen. Bristow and
charged him with having deliberately
suppressed important and material
facts, facts" he said, pounding his
desk, (which could not be overlooked,
and which were suppressed, in my
| judgment, for the purpose of giving
false impression to the country and
misleading the public"
Bristow's action, he said, was neith-
| er courageous nor honest, but for par
tisan purposes. He knew the country
| demanded an investigation" Mr.
Kitchin said. He undertook, in my
judgment, to blackmai Congress, to
silence Congress, and to silence the
country. 1t is a specie of intimida-
ton"
He asked if those on the Republican
side would sit still and stop the in
vestigation and thus give the back
biters an opportunity to attack the
character and integrity of those whom
Bristow had accused.
GrOsvenor Did Some Pounding.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio declared the
Bristow report a malicious libel on 1871
members of the House and Senate. II
will resign my seat Tomorrow" he
said, pounding his desk, iii there is
anything irregular or improper in what
l did,
Mr.. Grosvenor pounded his desk
again and said: Il condemn the man
that sent that into this House."
Messrs. Lilley of Connecticut, Butler
of Pennsylvania and Hill of Connecti-
cut followed with explanations of their
connection with postal matters
Mr.. Thompson of Alabama character
lied the report as infamous and as
having for its object the intimidation
of members in order to keep them from
insisting upon their rights. He de-
clared that no insinuation of the kind
would keep him from exercising his
duty as a. congressman.
Mr. Robinson of Arkansas demanded
an investigation Of the entire Postoffice
Department. The Bristow report. he
said, was an attempt to muddy the
waters and prevent the House from
making thorough investigation of
that department.
Mr. Maddox of Georgia, the last
speaker of the day, referred to the fact
that the report contained only one of
the nine specific instances charged in
the original indictment"
Mr. Overstreet explained that that
was because the other eight were not
sent to the committee.
Mr. Maddox quickly took advantage
of this reply and said 1t showed that all
the data at the departments command