Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-12
MEMBERS ExONERATED
Report Of Mccall Investi-
eating Committee
SUBMITTED TO HOUSE
MYSTERY REGARDING LIST SENT
FROM DEPARTMENT.
misunderstanding as to Data Wanted
Regarding Leases-Mr. Bristow
Mildly Criticised.
SUBMITTED TO HOUSE


Representative Mccall of Massl chusetts.
chairman of the special committee of seven
appointed to inquire Into the alleged Bis
tow charges against members of Con-
Sress'' submitted in the House this after
noon the report which has been awaited
with so much interest. The report pre-
sentcf by Mr.. Mccall Is the unanimous
verdict of the committee and is signed by
the entire membership as follows: Repre-
sentatves Mccall, Massachusetts; HIT IL
iinois; Burton, Ohio; Metcalf. California;
Dermott, Bartlett and Richardson, present
and Richardson, Alabama. The minority
members of the committee, Messrs NC
Dermott, aBrtlett and Richardson, present
ed supplemental statement in which tley
take Mr.. Bristow severely to task for what
they consider extravagant guesses at
wrongdoing not borne out by the facts.
The main report of the committee states
the conclusion that 1t Is highly ereotaDie
to the membership of the House that the
expose of supposedly personal correspond
ence with the Post Office Department mas
shown so little that could in any way De
termed irregular.
Mr.. Bristow Mildly Criticised.
The report exonerates the members of the
House. and but mildly criticises the fourth
assistant postmaster general. The minority
report is not SO lenient with Mr. bristoW'
but charges that he omitted from his report
of the Post Office Department cases Wnere
he knew the law was being violated IN the
payment of money. The unanimous report
of the committee says:
The important phase of the report is its
finding regarding the connection OF mem
bers with the business of the Post ONCE
Department. This finding is as follows:
Members Exonerated.
after a careful consideration of all cases
specified in the report numbered 1873 the
report of the post office committee on
charges against members of Congress), SO
far as they relate to present members of the
House of Representatives, which the COM
mttee assume to be the limit of their juris-,
diction, they have unanimously reached the
conclusion that nothing has appeared in
connection with said cases that would JUS
tify the finding that any member of the
House of Representa- tiyes has prOfited finan-
cially in the slightest degree. or that any
member was guilty of improper conduct In
connection Herewith. that any member
has done in connection with any of said
cases anything that did not appear to be
within the line of his official duty, accord
ing 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 he. and to restrain within
the narrowest possible limits, the action of
members in connection with post offices
and details of other executive matters. and
that the severance of members from work
of that character would augment the eff
ficiency of the House of Representatives
The Correspondence.
In conclusion, the committee would
direct attention to the fact that this inquiry
has come upon the House suddenly and
without any notice to its members. Their
correspondence has been brought to the
light with that department of the govern
ment with which their relations are most
intimate. In no instance is it likely that
they expected the letters which they wrote
would be published. These letters were
written under a great variety of circum-
stances-in haste. and some doubtless by
the private secretary of a member; some
OF them formal and some of personal
nature.
at is to the credit of the membership of
the House that correspondence of this char
acter thus collected together should contain
so little of an unfavora BILE character. Tn
doubtedly there are letters which were care
lessly written The action in some cases
was not well considered. The statement
found in some instances in letters from the
executive officer that what was done was
done as a favor to the member might we'll
have been resented. But there Is nothing
in any of the cases considered that reflects
upon the integrity of the membership OF
the House of Representatives..
History of the Report.
Before reaching the above conclusion the
report gives history of the compilation
and publication of the report duplicating
members. It's inception, so far as the
clerk hire" cases are concerned, the COM
r1ittee states. was with Fourth Assistant
a compilation of all cases where members
had made recommendation regarding clerk
hire for the purpose of obtaining evidence
to Justify the assertion in his report on the
post Office investigation that "a hundred
similar cases could be cited" Nine hum
dred such cases were finally included in
this list, and opposite each case was placed
the name of a member of Congress The
testimony of First Assistant Wynne is
quoted in this connection to show that the
mention of the members names in case
did not mean that they had even rec
commended the allowance. but they were
put there for the use of the Office, and
in some cases when only notice had been
sent to a member that an increase had
been made affecting an office in his dis
trict. although the member had made no
request concerning the same.
Under the impression that the sending
of the names of senators and representa-
tives upon the list made up in that manner
would be unfair to them. the first assistant
postmaster general. after consultation with
the Postmaster General prepared a list of
offices, emitting therefrom the names of
members of Congress and all other persons.
Mystery Not Cleared Up.
1.-The list in that form was sent to- the
committee on the post offices and post roads,
but in some way which the testimony does
not make clear, the information was re-
. ceived by the Post Office Department that
the list should include the names of MEM
bers, and accordingly the list was prepar-
ed. which appears in House report No.
1905"
That part of the report involving MEM
bers which related to leases contained more
information than was asked for by the
House committee on post offices and post
roads. What was called for was list of
the cases where leases had been Cancelled
and renewed at a higher rental upon the
recommendation of members. Instead of
h list dr. I,