The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-08

Washington, January 6.-Alleged DR.
rexuIarities in the postoffice department
consumed nearly all the time in the
Senate today. The question came up
ON q motion first made by Mr.. Lodge
and afterwards by Mr. Penrose TO re-
fer the Carmack resolution looking 10 a
senatorial investigation of the depart
ment TO the committee on postoffices
aad post roads. The democratic Sena-
tors resisted the motion and contended
that the country would not be satisfied
with aa investigation of a department
made by the department itself. The
debate continued for almost two and a
half hours and was extremely spirited
from start to finish.
Mr.. Carmack resisted Mr.. Lolge's
motion, declaring that if departmental
irregularities were TO be investigated
only by the department themselves it
would not be long until there would be
"a stencil in the nostrils of the people"
The only safeguard was in congression-
al investigation, ne said.
Mr, Clay, expressed surprise that
there should be opposition 10 the reso-
luton and called attention to the de-
cIarations by Fourth Assistant Post
master General Bristow and Counsel
lors Bonaparte and Conrad that the
investigation should be carried further.
He declared that the BTiStCw report
demonstrates the absolute guilt OF the
late first assistant postmaster general,
Mr.. Health. He (Bristow) says m
self that this leading high official was
guilty and the prooOf is overwhelming.
II this IS true, Mr.. Heath should have
been indicted ~ will do Mr.. BristOw
the credit to say that his report shows
that frauds of postofice department
originated IN Mr.. Heath's office. If SO
he mus have had cOgnizance of them.
Then why should the subOrdinates in
that Office be indicted and the principal
Be allowed TO escdpe?'
Reference also was made to the ne
gotiations with D. s. Richardson con-
cerning the Montague indicator in
which Mr.. Clay said there were many
suspicious features pointing to Mr..
Heath.
q thorough reading of the Bristow re-
port that Mr. Bristow had been salts
fed beyond a doubt that the guiItiest
party Of all was the retired first assis-
tant postomaster general, yet he had
never been indicted or arrested. I'm
the interest of fair play. in the interest
OF justice. in the interest of good gov
erament and clean administration he
II o. chn he 4
I am surprised that my friend the SEN
ator from Massachusetts. (Mr. Lodge)
should object"
Mr.. Clay also declared that the Pres
ident had reflected seriously upon Mr..
Heath and had desired the retirement
of Mr.. Heath from the secretaryship
Of the Republican National convention.
Mr.. Clay was careful to say that he
intended no reflection upon Mr.. Wynne.
the present first assistant postmaster
general. On the contrary. he took pains
to speak IN high terms of Mr. Wynne,
saying that he had given material as
sistanoe to the department inquiry.
Mr.. Carmack made a general plea for
a senatorial inquiry and the reason
given by him was the newspaper re-
port to the effect that the postmaster
general had not been in sympathy with
the postoffice department inquiry when
undertaken and that he had pronounced
Tulloch charges to be hot air.
The statement aroused Mr.. Spooner,
who said that the charge did great in
justice TO the postmaster general. So
far as the Bristow inquiry was con-
eerned Mr. Payne had been in thorough
sympathy with it and had placed the
entire machinery Of the department at
the command of the official who made
this most remorseless inquiry.
Mr.. Carmack repeated the report that
Mr.. Payne had referred to the Tuiloch
charges as hot air. and Mr.. Spoonec
replied that Mr.. Payne had remained
at his desk in this city day after day
all last summer while the inquiry was
in progress, Notwithstanding he was in
very poor health. devoting every ener-
BY TO seeing that ''the truth should be
brought out and the department purg-
ed OF every element OF graft"
Nh. Carfnack declared the Irregular