The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-09
HEATH INVOLVED
IN AN ODD WEBB
| Don't Say He's Guilty,
Declares Simmons.
BUT 1T LOOKS QUEER
The North Carolina Senator Demands
an Investigation of the Post
office Frauds. Quarter of
Million to Fight Boil
Weevil.
Especial to News and observer0

Washington, D. c., Jan. S.-Senator Sim
mons today addressed the Senate at length
on the Carmack resolution for investiga-
ton of the Postoffice Department. After
Republicans for opposition to Congress
sional investigation, Mr.. Simmons predict
ed that if the resolution ever came back
from the committee with recommendation
for complete and thorough investigation,
it would be defeated by practically
unanimous vote on the Republican side,
because that paBty wants no further
investigation of these transactions and
does not intend there should be any on the
eve of a presidential campaign and elec-
tion
He said Congressional committees might
not be the best possible tribunal for the
investigation of frauds in the public SER
vice, but it was a method used in this
country since the foundation of the gov
ernment. The people like it. It's in
quiries are made in the open and the
committee is generally composed of rep
resentative men OF both parties.
He read from Bristow's report to show
that his investigation had been confined
to four divisions in one branch of the
Postoffice Department that of the first
Assistant Postmaster General. These di-
visions had been found reeking with fraud
and corruption, and while he did not
charge that the other branches of the
would be hard to convince the people
without investigation that they were noe
in the same condition as the branch of
the service actually investigated. The
Bristow investigation was merely a legal
inquiry, such as the district attorney
would make against persons charged with
violation of Federal laws, but more than
crime was involved The money of the
people, appropriated by Congress and
dedicated to special use had been misap-
propriated and misapplied.'
In these conditions can we afford to say
to the American people that there is no
duty or obligation resting upon Congress
to investigate this misuse of the public
funds, or that we surrender that duty
TO a department of the government. and
that department the one in which the
misuse of money has taken place.
While the Bristow report had been rea-
sonably thorough so far as it went, Mr.
Simmons did not think it went far enough
He did not show in investigating charges
against Heath, the same freedom as he
had shown in investigating his subordi-
mates. 1t was not natural that he should.
If Bristow and his inspectors had follow
ed the clews against Heath as diligently
as they did those against Machen and
Beavers, he would probably have found
sufficient evidence to justify his indict-
ment. Heath may not be guilty, but if
he is not he is victim of remarka-
BILE combination of circumstances.
Mr.. Simmons recited these circum-
stances, showed wherein the chain had
been lost and added that Heath might be
guilty, he might be one of those bold
operators who in certain stages of their
crime show recklessness, but when the
critical period arrives hide the tracks of
their crime with skill which defeats
the sleuth hounds of the law This may
have been the reason Bristow failed to
connect the chain of circumstances against
him, but that would show not, that he
was less guilty but a more skillful crimi-
nal than the rest Of the grafters.
He would not, he said. criticise the
present Postmaster General for failure to
press investigation. Probably he had
done his duty, but his predecessor,
Charles Emory Smith. had those charges
before him in the early stages of his ad-
ministration. The charges were specific:
the names OF witnesses to establish them
were furnished and yet he "Poo-pooed"
and refused to investigate them.
Nj. Simmons said he did not mean to
charge that the present Postmaster Gen.
eral had purposely stified Investigations
but he said his attitude at one stage OF
the investigation toward government wit
nesses had been anything but satisfactory