The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-24

OF developments, since Saturday last. is
anything but pleasing to the POST
On May 1, 1903, the Post published an
interview with Mr. S. w TuIloch author
CT the 'T'llloch charges being substan
TALLY the same charges made in the Post
article first quoted, in which Mr.. Tulloch.
referring to these charges made by hin,
in 1000, said:
Detailed charges at length were made,
the names of competent witnesses were
gwen, and Postmaster General C. Emory
| Smith was challenged to make an inves-
tigation. These charges were treated az
frivolous and civilly dismissed by the
officials involved.
! Mr.. President, as the Senator from
| Colorado (Mr. Teller), who has just pre-.
/ ceded me, has so we'll said this whole
investigation has grown out of the charges
made by Mr.. Tuloch. Finally. after
much delay, an investigation of these
| charges was entered upon by Mr.. Smith,
then Postmaster General but, as that in.
vestigation proceeded, and as the trail
became hot, so to speak, and led in the
direction of certain prominent politicians
| in the Postoffice Department, the inves-
| tlgatlon was suddenly called off, and
| the men who were engaged in making it
| were either removed from office or no,
! tined mot to be too jealous" Here
| is what Mt. Tulloch, in his interview jus,
quoted, says about the sudden suppress
sion in this investigation:
| Direct personal and political pressure
was then brought to bear upon the
| Comptroller-the investigation was stop.
! ped just as it was becominr interesting
| and the expert having it in charge was
removed for too Jealous performance
of his duty, presumably as a warning
to others.
The expert referred to by MIR. Tulloch
as having been dismissed was Mr.. Thomas
w. Gilmer, a man admitted by Mr.. Bris,
tow and the Comptroller of the Treas
ury under whom Mr.. Gilmer was EN-.
ployed to be a man of high character
| and an expert of great efficiency. This
faithful official, who was engaged in dill
igently probing wrongdoing then ram
pant in the Postoflce Department, was
removed not because of any failure OF
duty or incompetency, but upon the IN,
stigation of Mr.. Perry S. Heath, then
First Assistant Postmaster General, now
secretary of the Republican National Elk,
ecutive Committee, upon@ the frivolous
pretext that he was notzAs polite as he
should have been and %ynducted his ex-
| a1ninations in waysSpersonally often
siye.
Not only was Mr.. Giimer, the expcr,
who had been assigned to make this III
vestigation, removed from the position
he then held in the Postoffice Depart
ment, but certain postoff inspectors
engaged in the investigation We're warn
ed, as / stated before, to be careful and
not presume too much. Referring to the
restraints and limitations ~ut upon these
inspectors, Mr, TullCch, in the same
interview, says:
The postoffice inspectors (meaning The
inspectors engaged in making this inves
tigation), who were aware of the exist
ing conditions. were informed that if they
presumed too much they too would also
be removed.
Mr. President, in view of these facts,
repeatedly asserted and published and
never so far a am aware dlSproved /
think was justified in saying that these
Investigations, the one then in progress
being in the beginning OF them, were re-
luctantiy entered upon
l have had some little official associa-
tion with the present Postmaster Cen
eral, and 1 regard him highly. ! believe
he is an honest man, and acquit him
now. as / did in my former speech, of sny
willful purpose to stifie the investigation
of these postal Frauds but / said then,
and / say now, that in the early stages
OF that investigation his public utter
ances and conduct with respect to some
of the witnesses and his treatment OF
some of the charges were not such as in
spired confidence in his zeal in behalf OF
a thorough, sweeping, and unbiased IN
vestigation. His treatment OF Mr.. Tul-
loch and his charges were especially d
surprise and disappointment to he coun-
try When Mr.. Tulloch. a man admitted
lv of high character admittedly OF more
than ordinary intelligence, who had to
his credit twenty three years OF honest
and faithful service, IN the Postotfice De.
partment, preferred specific charges cf
fraud against officials in his department
giving the names of witnesses by whom
those charges could be proven, the Post
master General, in the daily hearings
which he accorded the newspaper repre-,
sentatives OF Washington not only laugh
ed him and his charges to scorn, but he
characterized them as stale SANDERS. the
emanations of q discharged employee in
famed against the Department by rea
son of his removal from Office.
There is not man in this country,
Mr. President so obtuse as not 20 knew
that that kind of treatment of a Govern,
ment witness by the head of the Depart
ment then undergoing investigation was
not only calculated to discourage thai
Investigation but was calculated to deter
other employees of the Department from
revealing information in their possession
which might be of importance N uIearth
ing and discovering frauds.
THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT.
Mr. President, in the spee-h which I
bill and to which the DISTINGUISHED Son,
ator from wisconsin (Mr. Spooner) did
me the honor to refer frequently IN his
very brilliant effort in this Chamber last
Saturday I ventured to describe the kind
of man I hoped and believed the Dem
ocratic rarty would this year name as
it's candidate for tho Presidency. TIE
Senator from Wisconsin, quoting my Ian
guare Or at least part of it, and having
all Of if before him, fitted and applied
that description to certain dis:,n,
guisbed citizen whose name has been
montioned in correction with this nom.
nation and intimated, if he did not
at,te that what / wanted and what the |
DemocratIc party wanted was a candidate
of neutral character, man of nassive
Mr. President. in describing the quail
ties of the candidate who | said [ hoped |
would he nominated by the Democrats, 1
said q man OF calm juulcial tempera
mant Are those qualities of neural !
character? | said man of conservative
d;srosition Is that a neutral character? |
T Eta man of equable and poised mind |
ie +b,t neutral character? Arc judi
ciol tomnerament, conservative disposi |
To- on,iabe and poised mind and char
ecter neutral qualities? Are we to IN
~ flo+ IN the opinion OF the ODpt)-