The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-07

gressmen has doubtless not been we'll un- derstood. As near as can be now learn ed. it is as given below.
 After the committee was organized. and before taking up the general appropria- | tion bill, an agreement was reached to present to the House a resolution for authority to call upon the Postmaster General for all reports and the results | of the investigation made in the Depart | ment to enable the committee to deter mine the propriety of allowing estimates submitted by the salary and allowance division and other branches of the depart ment in the first assistant postmaster generals office where frauds had been committed. Since that time the depart ment had estimates of these divisions higher than previously, notwithstanding 2 l the proof showed hundreds of thousands of dollars had been wasted or stolen | there The resolution was reported to the House immediately after passing the committee.
 Wanted It Direct.
 Some Democrats. without knowing the necessity for the passage of the resolu- ton in the shape presented to the House. opposed from party standpoint and from the standpoint of ultimate in- vestigation. the call for information by the committee, and insisted that the in- formation should come directly to the House.
 Representative Moon of Tennessee, the senior Democrat on the Postofice Com mittee. as did all the Democrats of the committee. supported the resolution as re- ported from the committee on the idea that this would be the most effectuaI means of. getting the information before the committee and preventing the infor- nation fran being pigeon-holed as soon as the majority party saw that 1t waa the purpose of the Democrats not only to secure proper information to enable them to frame an economic supply bill but to give to the country ultimately the truth as to the weakness of the postal system and the frauds committed in the department.
 While framing the appropriation bill. and when Bristow was on the stand be- fore the committee, Mir. Moon reminded him that he had made charges of viola tions of Lne law and of the regulations of the department by Congressman, and asked him if he would not, under a resO- lution authorizing the committee to call for information. give the names. or a list of the names of the Congressmen con- cerned and a brief of the facts of each case of violation of law or lules-
 Mir. Bristow said he would do so if desired by the committee. He also said. In reply to an inquiry by Mir. Moon. that he would ask to be excused from saying whether he thought all branches of the department ought to be investigated.
 The chairman of the committee ad- dressed a letter to the postmaster gen eral. as a result of these inquiries and information given the Committed, asking for tabulated statement covering the interroRatories propounded to Mir Bris- tow. The reply to the letter was the in- formation submitted to the House by the committee in it's report and was fur nished directly by the Postoffice Depart ment. When the Hay resolution came up, this testimony was before the com mittee and furnishing a complete res ponse. in the opinion of the committee. to the resolution. was promptly reported to the House.
 The Democrats of the committee. while of the opinion that 1t was not necessary to investigate Congressman. the facts in their cases being before the House. and believing the methods obtaining condu- cive to further peculation and fraud. of fered an amendment to the resolution asking for a complete investigation of the department.
 This the Republicans decisively voted down. R. H. Watkins.