The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10
.SPOONER FLAYS
THE MINORITY
Senator Says Attacks Upon
the President Are Made
for Their Political Effect
HAVE NO FOUNDATION
Popular Confidence in ROose-
velt viii BE Shown at
the Polls in November


WASHINGTON, April 9.-In the Sem
ate to-day Spooner replied to tho
Democratic structures on the conduct
Of the Postoflce Department and also
treversed quite an extensive political
field. He Endorsed the course OF the
Postmaster General in connection with
the irregularities OF his department
and charged that the effort on the part
OF the Democratic Senators TO secure
2 Congressional inquiry was In the In
terest Of party politics. He also de-
tended the President against the
charge OF violating the law which, he
said, had been made by the Democrats,
declaring that in nothing was the
President so much distinguished as in
his determination to enforce the law.
No progress was made on the post
Office bill. The conference report on
the Indian appropriation bill was par
TALLY read but further consideration
was postponed on the suggestion that
the conferees had inserted provisions
that mad net been passed on by either
house.
The bill for the aid Of the Portland
exposition and the Philippine coastwise
shipping bill were passed finally by ao-
cepting the House amendments.
FUND NOT CORRUPTLY USED.
When the postoff1ce appropriation bill
was again taken up Lodge made a
statement covering the facts relating
to canceling machines used in the
Postoffice Department. Referring to
Bristow's report, Lodge said it might
be inferred from it that a large part
OF the fund for machines had been
corruptly used, but this was not true,
as the expenditure was for additional
machines.
Lodge then yielded to Patterson, to
make an addition to his speech of yes
terday on the Chinese exclusion act.
He made especial reply to the conten-
ton of other Senators that the treaty
with China of 1894 had had the eff
feet Of repeating the treaties of 1868
and 1850. and laid down the general
proposition that no treaty entered into
for mere temporary purposes could be
held to abrogate permanent treaties
lie again declared that unless there
was new legislation the country would
be without prohibitive legislation af-
ter December next.
Consideration OF the postofice bill
was then resumed and SooOner ad-
dressed the Senate. He expressed the
opinion that much had been said con-
cerning the postoffice situation for
partisan purposes and expressed sur
prise that Simmons, for instance
should have said that the Postoffice
Department inquiry was reluctantly
begun"
URGES CAUTION IN SPEECH.
What we say here goes into the
we cast reflections upon any person
or official Of the Government, they are
for all time. We are supposed to
speak from a high standard"
Continuing, he read from the Pres
ident's report on the investigation to
show that there had been no hesitancy
on the part of the officials of the POST
office Department to undertake the in
Vestigation and declared that there
had been nothing in the record of the
department to impeach the fidelity of
the Postmaster General.
Spooner paid a high tribute to Payne,
who. he said, had been unjustly ma
ligned more than any other official in
q number Of years. SpOoner put into
the record a letter from the President
20 Payne commencing him for the work
he had done in connection with the
postoffice investigation.
Speaking Of the charges of corrup-
ton. Spooner advanced the idea that
there is much less of it now than in
former years. He did not believe. for
instance. that a credit mobilier' scan
dal would be possible in the Congress
of to-day.
SpOoner said il would have been i'm
possible for the Senate to make as
complete an investigation as Bristow
had made under the Presidents direc-
ton.
WHERE THE PEOPLE STAND.
And ] think" he said, that, what
ever our friends on the other side OF
the chamber may find to say of the
President, the great mass of the people
will agree with me that from the be-
! ginning he has shown that he will not
tolerate wrongdoing in any official,
high or low"
He charged the Democrats in both
! houses with having adopted as party
slogan the declaration that 'Roose-
/ Welt must be beaten"
Spooner wondered that German had