The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-13
REPORT OF THE M'CAl[
COMMITTEE EXONERATES
ALL INDIANA MEMBERS
Bristow's Charges Against Con-
gresSlnen Are Shown to Have
Been Reckless.
NO VIOLATION OF LAW
Cases of Hoosiers Not Even Com
mented On-Supplemental Re-
port by Minority.
20 VIOLATION OF LAW

toned in the report concerning charges
against members of Congress is eXoner-
ated in the unanimous report of the special
Mccall committee, made public to-day. In
fact the committee does not even comment
on the instances of alleged excessive al
lowances granted Indiana postmasters on
the recommendation of the Republican rep
resentatives from the State. Instead of at
taching any blame to Representative Over
street, chairman of the committee on post
offices, the Mccall report approves the
course followed by the Indianapolis men,
Der.
Taken together, the unanimous report of
the Mccall committee and the supplemental
report made by the Democrats, show two
facts only of consequence:
First-That in no case presented in the
document relative to the connection of
members to leases of postoffice buildings
and to allowances for clerk hire, ETC., were
they open to the slightest criticism.
Secondhand General Bristow was reck-
less in some of the statements he made in
his report on the postoffice investigation
when in his desire to show guilt on the part
of George Beavers, former superintendent
of salaries and allowances. General Bristow
stated that millions of dollars had been ex-
pended by Beavers in postoffice leases and
clerk hire allowances as special favors to
senators and representatives. Further, as
it is shown by the Democratic supplemental
report, with the records to prove the case,
General BristOw failed to note a specific
case of violation of the regulations of the
department in the matter of clerk hire al
lowanceS, which had been made upon his
personal recommendation
Thus it is that the facts brought out by
the Mccall committee justify all that has
been claimed regarding the innocence of
members of any wrongdoing. The report
went further than many members of the
House thought 1t would do in making no
comment upon even the three or four cases
in Illinois and Virginia, where large allow
| ances we're made for clerk hire in violation
| of the department regulations The Mccall
| committee shows that even in these ca ses
! the members who made the recommends
| tions only asked that the postoffices
mentioned be given all that was possible
under the law, and they did not know that
| any regulations of the department. which
| regulations were secret, had been violated
| in making the allowances.
OBJECT OF DEMOCRATS.
1t is apparent from the structures upon
General Bristow, in the supplemental re-
port made by the Democrats on the Mccall
committee, going further and into more
| detail than does the unanimous report,
| that the sole object of this action is to
| raise some point upon which the Democrats
| can further insist upon an investigation of
the Postoffice Department In effect they
| say that General Bristow the investigator
| should be investigated, simply because in
| two instances in making recommendations
| regarding clerk hire in Kansas postoffices
| he did what is, by the unanimous report
OF the committee, excused when it was
| done by members of Congress.
| The important phases of the report is
a finding regarding the connection of mem
bers with the business of the Postoffice De.
| partment. This finding is as follows: "Af.
| ter careful consideration of all cases
specified in the report numbered 1895 (re-
port of the postoffice committee or
| Charges Against Members of Congress
so far as they relate to present members
of the House of Representatives, which the
committee assumed to be the limit of its
| jurisdiction, they have unanimously
reached the conclusion that nothing has
appeared in connection with said charges
that would justify the finding that any
member of the House of Representative:
has profted financially in the slightest de-
gree, or that any member was guilty OF
improper conduct in connection Herewith
or that any member has done in connection
with said cases anything that did not ap
pear to be within the line of his Officia
duty according to long established Gus
tom.
A SUGGESTION
Having reached this conclusion, thu
committee feels constrained to add in it
as may be, and to restrain within the mar
rowest limits, the action of members il
connection with postoffices and the detail
of other executive matters, and that tn
severance of members from work of tina
character would augment the efficiency O
the House of Representatives In couclu
| sion, the committee would desire the at
|. tentlon to the fact that inquiry has com
on the House suddenly and without an
4 a hnfr k-rafaraC
ence has been brought to the light wit
that department of the government wit
which their relations are most intimate
| In no instance it is likely that they eX
| pected that the letters which they wrot
would be published. These letters wer
written under variety of circumstances
in haste, and some, doubtless, by the PR
| vate secretary of "a member; some of ther
formal and some of a personal nature.
. 1T is to the credit to the membership @
the House that correspondence of thi
character thus collected together Shout
contain little of an unfavorabe char
acter. Undoubtedly there are letters whic
, were carelessy written. The action
: some cases was not well considered. TIL
statement found in some instances in som
letters from the executive Office, that wha
p; was done was done as favor to the men
i Der, might well have been resented. BIT
| there is nothing in any of the cases cor
| sidered that reflects on the integrity
the House of Representatives"
Before reaching the above conclusion
| the report gives history of the compila
| ton and publication of the report impl
eating members. Its inception, so far a
| the clerk hire cases are concerned, I'll
| committee states was with Fourth AsSis
e ant Postmaster General Bristow, who OF
d dered a compilation of all cases whel
| members had made recommendation II
| garding clerk nire for the purpose of 81
curing evidence to justify the assertio
e in his report on the postoffice investigate
q | that a hundred similar cases could
cited Nine hundred such cases wei
e finally included in this list and oppos
r each case was placed the name of men
o Der of Congress-
: WYNNE'S TESTIMONY.
q The testimony of First Assistant Wynn
p is quoted in this connection TO show tn;
n the mention of the members name in
= case did not mean that they had eve
: recommended the allowance. but they we
% put there for the use of the office, and
n some cases when only notice had be-
p sent to a member that an increase HI
o been made affecting an office i'm his di
l. trict. although the member mad made ]
; request concerning the same. Under Il
~ | impression that the sending of the nam
u | of Senators and Representatives upon Il
~ list made up in that manner would be- u
IL fair to them. the first assistant postmast
| general. after consultation with the pos
master general, prepared a list of Office
emitting therefrom the names of membe
49, | of Congress and all other persons
The list in that form sent to 4
e committee on postofflces and postroaC
IS but in some way which the testimony do
:, not make clear, the information was I
Al cafvad nv 10 POStOffice DeDartmenf IN