New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-30
. FOOLISH APOLOGY

r,,-,r,eoDtative Overstreeu. OF Indiana chalI-
man Of the House Committee on PostoiuSeS
md Post Roads. does not shine as an apoio-.S''
Having had 10 face the whitening censuIe "a d
l,odv naturally irritated at the malauIO-'-.'
With which he dragged its name into '''es-
so-v scandal he may be pardoned ior protest.
inc his much abused and native innocence buI
in ,loorir,o himself he should not try to blackeh
,tbers He should not seek 10 drag down any
1,o5y- else's credit In the effort TO restore MS
own. -.
- Mr.. Ovcrstreets testimony before the NC
can investigating committee on Monday was
correctly summarized by The hssoclatea fresS'
no does Tho Trihune's Washington bureau Il
manifest iniugticc I'm declaring that its dis
matches OF February % and March l. WHICH
,o,,,,e1'ed the release Of the so-called Charges
AGAINST Members Of Congress" were miSead-
inc and exaggerated The Indiana Representa-
five Is credited with saying that "this pubhca-
+ior'-ovfaeutlv the dispatch Of February ~
..,ras entirely wrong" and that in view of the
..ova.-~ora-,d report II laid before the House
and rl.o country tho Ue~t"iicc committed
tIouaht that The real facts ought 20 %"
r-inicd" a wide discrepancy IS here suggested
between The report and Are Facts put' IN
,---.b The Trfhllne's foraca.t or the charges
filed away IN tie committee. safety vault was
I'm no particular exaggerated or cxuavaGant
found between its summary Of the charges
and the charges themselves as embodied in
the official report Of March :.
said The Tr.hunr'S dispatch % February -:
The communication. which has boou carefully
prepared from the records of the posto.iire DO
uartmeut. gives the name OF every Sen7f"- ane
Ren-esentative In Congress Who has leased
buildings 10 the government 10 be used Tor
rosta1 purposes. or who has a pecunlarv interest
fl bufI5inEs so leased. The report indicates thai
T- r.4rt- Hr~~- frraH rrrH| H.- OF q
tfcaIrr practice. which IS distinct violation OF
The Jaw.
,rl1a ren-~t also contains the name OF every
Senator and Representative who has recon-
r-er5eG an increase iu the rental paid by the
government Tor buildings used for postal pur-
POSES and in the ciar'. hire allowed 20 long
list Of roStoficeS- From time lmmemorlal u has
rrer customary Tor members or both houses u
make such recou.we udatious. aud this practice
las not been REGARDED rs violation az the law,
or even as or Questionable proprietE- AZ the
owner uf e. building which had been leased by
tie Government Tor postal uses desired an in
creased rental 81 WAS his custom 10 appeal 10 ms
Senator or Eepreeeatatire 10 present the matter
TO the proper authorities. The recommendation
of The member ~ Congress has frequently Sc
,-,-a5 Tho desired increase and Il fs this recon-
luondation which has subjected such transac-
lions TO criticism and Investigation
In the dispatch Of March ] Il was specifically
stated that only three members OF the House
had violated the law Icy leasing buildings 10 the
Fostofflce Department 1t was further said:
II IS estimated that nearly nine hundred tech
meal violations Of the law cited in the docu-
rnent. These relate to recommendations for ad-
ditional clerk hire not fully authorized by law
and suggestions by Senators and Representa-
tivas that the rental of buildings leased 10 the
government for postal purposes be Increased
In this list NAV be found a large proportion OF
the membership Of both houses. and. while such
practices are open 20 criticism as being of ques-
tiouable prOpriety, they cannot be characterized
rs absolutely unlawful transactions.
In CHASING the practices complained OF 'as
technical violations Of law" not 10 be counted
as absolutely unlawful transactions" the dis
patch may not have made entirely clear the
statutory blamelessness Of the indiscretions
charged against Senators and Representatives;
but II drew no exaggerated picture Of the con-
tents Of the report in Mr.. Overstreet's custody,
and no indictment Tor false or scandalous accu-
sation can De brought against II II told the
truth and nothing but the truth.
To that extent IL may have forced the hand
Of Mr. Overstreets committee. The Indiana
Representative released the report because he
saw its disclosures fairly and accurately sum-
married IN advance in our dispatches. He
should accept full personal and political respon-
sibilty for that decision. Certainly he cannot
help his case by clustering about imaginary
Congregations" which drove him 10 offend tho
sensibilities Of so many OF his colleagues by dis
closing their petty office brokerage transactions
with the Post0fiice Department