Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-06

said that the charge did great injustice to
the Postmasters GensraL So far as the
Bristow inquiry was concerned Mr.. Payne
had been In thorough sympathy with 1t.
and had placed the entire machinery of
the department at the command of the OFF,
cial who had made this most remorseless
inquiry. That, said the Wisconsin sena-
at greater length on this question. as l
mean to do.
Mr. Carmack-'It ought to be proved.
That Is what we want the inquiry for.
had referred to the Tulloch charges as hot
air. and Mr.. Spooner said that his state
ment had covered the Bristow inquiry only.
AS for the Tulloch charges he would give
attention to them later. He said that MI.
Payne had remained at his desk In this
city day after day all last summer while
the inquiry was In progress. notwithstand-
ing he was in very poor health. devoting
every energy to seeing that the truth
should be brought out and the department
purged of every element of graft"
Replying. Mr.. Carmack disclaimed any
intention to charge Mr.. Payne with COM
ties in his department His suggestion was
that Of Indifference to the wrong. and the
natural inference that If the inquiry had
been left to him there would have been
none.
I'm other words" said Mr.. Spooner, 1.-THE
charge Is that he had no sympathy with the
wrong. but with the wrongdoers?'
Il did not say that" responded Mr.. Car
mack.
practically" commented Mr.. spooner.
sententiously.
Nor even practically that" Mr.. Car
Mr. Spooner again spoke briefly. saying
he would be able to show that Mr.. Payne
had solicited an appropriation for the pur-
pose of making an investigation long be-
fore investigation had been undertaken.
Mr. Burrows then read naraRraDh from
the Presidents message in confirmation of
this statement.
Worth Of Congressional Investigations.
Replying to some Of the criticisms of his
effort to have the resolution go to the COM
mlttee on post offices and to a former re-
mark Of his that congressional investiga-
lions were often of little avail. Mr.. Lodge
said that he had had no reference to such
Investigations conducted for legislative pur-
poses. but to others for the purpose of dis
covering crime.
They are pretty worthless" he declared.
He called attention to the congressional in
quries Into the official conduct OF Mr..
Machen, while he was superintendent of
free delivery Both the Senate and the
House Investigated Machen, he said, "at
the very time in which he was engaged in
the practices for which he was indicted as
a result of the department inquiry. and both
cleared him of the charges upon which the
inquiry was predicated."
Mr.. Carmack declared the irregularities in
the Post Office Department had shown an
ineff1cency in the administration.
Mr.. Spooner said there could not be any
disputing the fact that ineficiency had
been shown, and that 1t was begun in the
Cleveland administration. but 1t practically
has been charged that because there have
been irregularities among great host OF
clerks there had been cause for the i'm
parchment of the officials at the head Of
such departments.
Mr.. Carmack replied that he could not
agree to that expression, and added that II
there would have been no cause for scan
dals In municipal. state and national de-
partments and that for lack Of such In
vesti s'a, the ofastals should be held re-
Mr.. Germans Attitude.
Mr.. German. said lie was willing to have
all the resolutions calling for investigations
of the Post Office Department referred to
the committeeon post oflcesand post roads
as he had received assurances from the
chairman that Prompt action would be
taken. -
IN this connection, however, he said, he
wanued to caTf attention to the fact that all
of the debate on this subject had but en-
phasized the nee essity for an Investigation
of the Post Office Department. He said he
had no desire TO Investigate any particular
officer: that he believed the investigation
should be much broader than. that as the
irregularities, had eEept in by degrees and
the corruption had possibly been part OF
three or more administrations.
1t never has reached a point he said,
where men who are, corrupt themselves,
have disciosed the corruption Of others.
my purpose" he added, lis not so
much to expose this corruption as by the
action of Congress in making protective
laws to eliminate the chance of such cor
ruption in the future in the Post Office
Department"
Mr.. Spooner asked IL Mr.. German would
not be willing to- supplement that sugges-
ton by calling upon Congress for thor
ough investigation OF all departments at
stated periods.
Mr.. German answered that he would be
willing to make the change. but for the
present he was content to deal with the
question in hand.
Continuing he declared that the corrup
ton was not II party matter; that the pres
ent Postmaster General could not have
been responsible for the state of affairs in
entered upon his duties at the head of the
department.
Locates Credit for Exposure.
He declared it had been the policy of the
President to ignore his cabinet ministers
in this matter and give the credit for the
exposures in the Post Office Department to
NJ G. Seckendorr and William Allen White,
newspaper men of sagacity.
The Senate at 2:34 pm. adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
The House of Representatives convened at
noon today and proceeded to the call of
committees.
Mr. Robinson {Ind.), from the committee
on territories. called up a bill ito ratify.
approve and confirm an act duly enacted by
the legislature Of the territory of Hawaii.
to authorize and provide for the manufac-
ture. distribution and supply OF electric
light and power on the Island Of Oahu. ter
ritory Of, Hawaii" and its consideration