Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-04-12
58TH CONGRESS.
Continued from page ~


opportunity TO contribute. He read a
statement to the effect that recinroci
~ would be part of the program and
asked Aldrich what he thouabt of H.
program.
Il do believe as you do" said A.
drich- that such matters should he left
to the convention"
summons answering the recent speecb
oi Spooner, who defended Postm,ster
General Payne from what he treated
as an attack by Simmons in preyious
remarks.
simmons declared, today. that his re-
HlarKS IN relation to the reluctance of
the post Office department to undar.
take an investigation, to hesitancv on
the part of Former Postmaster General
"ill'h ana not to the present postmast-
er general, Mr.. Payne. He reiterated.
however, his belief that the investiga-
tioh had been delayed and also that the
present postmaster general had not
II treated fairly the offer of 8 w Tul-
ioch TO give testimony in regard to con-
ditions in the department. This act of
encouragement, said Simmons. was
calculated to deter the work of un-
carthing the scandals in the DEPART
with advocating the selection of a neu-
trail man for President. He (Simmons,
had demanded n calm, well poised dis
position and mind. judicial and con-
servative temperament, and asked
whether that would be regarded a neu-
i tral man. Turning to the Republican
Il side, he said he supposed the candidate
wanted was one who would overturn
! affairs of the 2Cth century, make new
\ laws when the present ones do not suit
\ and treaties with foreign countries
II without the advice or consent of the
Senate. He said the country has wit
messed the spectacle Imperative.
The Presidents memorandum in the
| Machen case. he said, also raised a
question as to the conduct of members
and under these charges Congress could
not afford to let the matter rest.
The departments reflection upon
Congress he denounced as an Outrage"
and said that instead of there Icing Il
question of politics involved, the honor
and integrity of Congress We're in ques-
| ton. lie pronounced the postma Ster
general an honest man, but said he was
to he criticised for failing to demand 4
Congressional investigation. If the
| illdtttG WAS 10 nave any III tne
political campaign it was now in the
best condition to accomplish that end
because as it now stood. he said. the
Republican party refused to permit an
inquiry.
Senators on the other side" he said,
| may regard their case as 50 desperate
that they will not permit any one to
peep into the books. Well, you have
the power. of course, and YOU can pre-
vent any inquiry if you wish to do so,
as You have two-thrds of the members
of the Senate
-tldrich replied, saying: THE amend
ment in its present shape shows the
folly of attempting such explanation
as this on an appropriation bill.
| ''GOrman has emasculated it so that
it is of no effect whatever. If we are
| to have ;tn Investigation, let it be 4 live
one
Then let us have one" suggested Cor
man. without rising, and Aldrich con-
tinutd: Give us an explicit charge
and we will take it up, though not an
Appropriation bill. There never has been.
and | hope to God there never will be
a time when this Senate has refused to
investigate Il charge of misconduct
against an officer of the government.
I;ut if we are to have an inquiry, let us
have n genuine one and not an inquiry
to meet mere political exigency."
| Mr.. culhcrson said that if explicit
charges were necessary they could be
found in the case of the Montague in
dicator and in that of John w. Petit.
In the former case there is, he said,
according to the BrstoW report. 4 mys-
terry as to whether the former first as
siStant postmaster general had received
1000 shares of the stock of the concern.
In the case Of Petit, that individual,
it has been developed, had been on the
payroll OF the Baltimore post office for
four years. without doing any work.
and it never had been shown whether
he had been appointed to this work by
Mr.. Heath or by Mr. Beavers. He add
ed that the case was all the more per
tincnt because Petit at the time he
was getting pay from the government
had been in the employ of the Rcpub-
lican national committee, of which
| Postmaster General Payne was at the
time vice chairman and Mr.. Heath
chairman.
Lodge said that both Heath and
Beavers are out OF the department and
that Beavers is under n course of
prosecution; hence he did not consider
the charge of a character to effect the
present conduct of the department..
He considered the character OF the
charges as conclusive in showing the
demand for an investigation To be a
sham.
Allison opposed the amendment as
untenable, contcnding that the post
office committee is perfectly competent
to make any desirable inquiry. To
adopt the amendment would be for the
Senate to surrender its power to the
House of Representatives..
German referred humorously to Ali
sons power to postpone that which is
unpleasant. He was familiar with that
splendid gesture of the senator from
Iowa in waving things off,
AlGrich questioned German as to what
particular investigation he wanted.
"AIl of it,. said German. Il want to
know whether all of the appropriations
in this bill are proper. l do not be-