Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-01-07
P0ST0FFICE GRAFT.
Its Magnitude Only Partially
Discovered.

Discovered.
THE SUBSIDIES TO RAILROADS. /
Postal Car Rents and Padding the
Weight of Mail a Constant Drain.
The Postofice System Is Rotten In
Many Departments and Needs Ref
ormatiOn In Others.
The report OIL the postoftice frauds is
q most appalling revelation of the rot
tenness of the department, but the re-
port is more remarkable for what 1t
omits or only hints at than for the eX-
posures it makes. 1t is evident that
the rascality commenced the moment :
Senator Hanna handed over the pat
ronagc to his favorites after the cor
rupt campaign Of 1896 Perry Heath
was made the dispenser Of patronage,
and the footing ut once began. Post
master General Smith appears to have
been a fgurehead who either was inca
pable of administering his office or re-
fused to see the corruption that was
permcating it. The exposure of the
scandals would never have been made
if the heads of the department had not
disagreed about their respective rights
and the br:lZen recklessness of Beavers
and Machcn. The reference in the
Bristow report to the work OF sundry
congressman. inducing Beavers to ILL
crease the salaries of their favorites. Is
only limited at, but it was the dispen-
| sation of these favors that gave the
looters power With those they aided
| and forced through appropriations for
double the amount necessary so that
| the "ralSe-oir'' could be gathered i'll by
the conspirators. So influential with
the committee OH postotfices and post
roads had the chief hooters become that
congress at its last session provided for
the raising of the salaries of both Bea-
vers and Macllen.
Mr.. Rristow's report is an indictment
Of Postmaster General Payne. for he
says. "What the service most needs is
honest. intelligent and vigorous admin
l
fects of Mr.. Payne's management.
When this is taken in connection with
the "llot air. and other EXPLANATIONS
Of Postmaster General Payne when the
| first exposures were made. it indicates,
as General Bristow evidently believes,
that Mr. Payne was determined to
thwart any investigation. Yet Mr..
Payne continues by the grace of Presi-
dent Roosevelt member Of his cabi-
net, and Perry Heath is to continue
secretary of the Republican national
committee. But the greatest frauds III
the postoffice department have not been
investigated, and no hint is given that
they ever will be. The railroads are
receiving at least double what the law
contemplates for carrying the mails.
They received rent for postal cars
enough in one year to buy all the cars.
The agents of the railroads are active
in padding the returns Of the periodical
weighing of the mails, so that the aver
age is vastly augmented. and the cost
of carrying the same is increased far
beyond all reason. This department of
the postoffice service is under the super
vision of the second assistant postmas-
ter general, and if any one is interested
in knowing the vast powers and oppor'
, tunities for graft that the law and reg
, ulations of the department offer in this
branch of the service it is only neces-
sary to refer to page 95S of the postal
Guide" under the head Of coffee of the
, Second Assistant Postmaster General
The guide can be found ut any post
Office, and it will be seen that the sec
ond assistant postmaster general can
WELD enormous power for good Oh evil.
! The railroads alone received for the
year 1892 $39, Cos for carrying the
mails. being one-third Of the whole ex
penditures of the department. The cos,
of CARRYING that portion of the mai
+ handled by the railroads has increased
from .1O3S per mile in 1873 to .1273 II
1902. And the cost per capita OF pop
ulation has been added to in ever
greater proportion for each decade. II
: 1880 the cost was about 20 cents fol
each man. woman and child. i'll lS9'
about 80 cents and in 1900 over 81
cents. The basis for these figures vii
v be found in the Statistical Abstract
of the United States for 1902, page 4.'9
This increased cost to the people
that the railroads demand and com
= placent congress and administration al
low. for carrying the mail Offers lars
field for an honest investigation OF tn
Office of the second assistant postmas
ter general. II an honest weighing 0
3 the Isails. could be had, with NO motto
iyep- Of the time when It would oc
~ur N that najadiu9 fAe AMOUNT c0nll