The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-09-15
ro,sevs,t ana the Postal rrssas.


william Allen White paforins
q public service In the September
McCiure's In telling clearly and In
telligentiy the inspiring story OF
how President Roosevelt uncovered
the frauds in the postal department.
Mr.. White not only gives the facts
concerning the great administrative
sensation, but he int rprets their
significance and anaiyzes both the
tendencies which made these frauds
po.sibIe and the newer trend which
exposed them.
For nearly thirty years, Mr..
White claims, the corruption oil
public officials has been growing
steadily wore under the fostering
care Of the party system. He who
exposed public officers in their semi
Iegsiized looting has been viewed
a. an enemy Of his party. But re-
Gently there has been visible
growth Of moral perception In mat
lers political among the people. and
this force may compel the lever OF
the party system to act for the peo-
pie. In the access Of . real moral
intelligence about their politics, Ia
the fixing Of The trait Of civic
honesty the people Of the Uaited
States are discovering an important
function Of government. To bring
about such q condition means more
for America than the adjustment Of
tariffs or the establishment Of any
kind of currency, argues MIR. White
The real interest in American
politics is in the moral uplifs ir
the administration Of the existing
laws given to the country by Presi
dent Roosevelt. The most impor
tant manifestation Of this Is founC
in the way he cleaned up the cor
ruption he found in the post-offic'
department. That story is ont
which the people have not had il
az exact detail as they should hav'
it to realize what manner Of mai
, they are dealing with in the Whit
. House."
81 Mr.. White then tells that story il
. sufficient detail TO inform all Of tn
essential facts, yet so consisely tina
the whole miserable cOnspirac.
is uncovered almost at glance.
For years there has been crooked
1 ness in the post-office department
: yet so skillfully did the CRATER
cover their tracts and protect thei
interests by collision with congress
men, senators, editors and other
i who shared the benefits Of thei
r loot, that no prosecution was eve
O suggested. Official Washington knee
the power of the grafters and homo
ed them. And never q hint Of til
a conditions came to President Roos'
d velt's ears until Washington new
70 paper made the gossip concernin
p them the basis for a series
articles. Washington was aghast
such effrontery. The newspap
Twas boycotted and its editor di
rs charged. but some Of the hone
8 officials in Washington took Il
esedf IL a9 ths aea he
. Josaph L. Bristow, Fourth Asst
tant Postmaster General, to do Il
'e work. Every possible inflQen
r, was brought to bear on the Pres
IS dent to stop the Investigation, b
, with angry adherence for tt
alleged thieves he went after the
l. as terrier goes after rat and t
s. day the truth is out and this b-ant
ic of the public service immeasurab
le cleansed. Many convictions, resi-
II nations, flights and confessions ha,
followed the investigation, and di
honesty in the public service is at
- discount.
II 1t makes wholesome as we'll
interesting reading. this story
public duty fearlessly perfOrme
70 and its lessons must have ia
z reaching effect.