The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-03-31


TO be disagreeabIe differences from what
has already been developed"
In face ofsAr. Linceln's greatness, he
said, The Senate had insisted on in
vestigating the conduct of the Civil
War. After the close of the war there
had been much corruption, and then
the Republican majority in the Senate
did not hesitate te authorize an inves-
tigation.
Sc" he said, "yeu may follow 1t
through all administrations to McKin-
ley and there will be found ne denial
Of the right of inquiry
Mckinley, he continued, was glad to
afford opportunity for examination Of
the conduct of the Spanish war. HE
was a wise and patriotic man and had
nothing to conceal" said German, land
he knew that the honesty and fair deal
ing of his administration should be
subject to examination. We have
reached a time when there is much
preaching Of honesty and high mind
edness, but corruption bubbles out. 1t
came like fog and has not yet lifted
and We cannot tell whether all the in
formation is yet out"
German said the charges made by
the Postofflce Department he believed
had been made for the purpose of. di-
verting attention from the guilty ones.
who had fIched money from the treas
ury and abused their trusts.
For himself he was of the opinion
that members had not done more in
the matter than their duties required.
In this connection. German called at
tention to the habit Of criticizing men
engaged in legislative work and he
concluded that this criticism grew out
OF a We'll directed effort to build up a
one-man. Czsr-like government
POWER OF PATRONAGE.
he went 'on. THE Commissioner of
Pensions is relieved and sent out of
the country and another man brought
TO Washington and given a place. But
that is not enough. The pension roll
is increased by an executive order to
the extent Of from s., 900, 900 to 49,
0OO. OO0." He CGorman) had never made
an objection to liberal pensions, but
his criticism was that Congress was
becoming mere recording body.
We are now told" he continued.
that. having approved the plans OF
the executive, we must adjourn and
go home because of the fear Of damag-
ing disclosures. There are matters
which it is almost criminal not to give
attention 10. Yet we are not to be
allowed TO stay" He then referred to
some Of the pending legislation and
included in the list Forakers bill for
the amendment Of the antitrust law
regarding transportation. He referred
to Attorney General Knox's statement
regarding the BILL saying that it was a
departmental measure.
Senator Foraker said the Attorney
General had not given out this state
ment until challenged TO do so by the
Democratic press.
This remark, German retorted, was
the utterance Of a true soldier in the
ranks. Discussing the antitrust law
and Foraker's amendment, German
said the effect of the law was to re-
quire the publication Of rates like
those given by Hill on his trans
continental oceanic lines with the re-
suit that competing nations got the in
formation. Amendment therefore was
necessary and Foraker's bill had been
intended to meet that demand But
with this, as with other matters of
legislation, said German, the executive
interferes and Notwithstanding the
need for legislation the mysterious
order is sent out that Congress must
adjourn without taking up the ques-
ton. How long" he asked, ARE we
to submit to such a SYSTEM" The
idea was, he said, that all should be
left in the hands of the executive and
that nothing should be done until after
November next. In the meantime, he
continued, the law would be suspended
and the matter controlled by the exec
utive order, with the result that trade
conditions would be so disturbed that
the farmers of the Northwest would
go in enormous bodies to the country
across the line.
HONEST MEN NOT RARE.
The American people do not want
one-man control, German continued.
but they would have the law itself
changed and then would have the law
obeyed. He hoped that such action
would prevent one-man control in the
next four years, whatsoever might fill
the White House. 1t was not enough
to say that the President was honest,
for honest men are not rare. Occasion
ally a dishonest man may creep in, but
&c is soon disposed Of" said German
Judgment and good discretion also
were necessary in the conduct of pub
lie affairs. 1t was not so much a ques-
ton of honesty Of the chief executive
or his immediate advisers. German
said he did not hold Roosevelt or his
Cabinet officers responsible for the
-thievery in the department" German
said he did not believe eX-Postmaster
General Smith had been cognizant of
the bad condition Of affairs in the Post
office Department. as Bonaparte had
charged. Bonaparte was of the class of
reformers who believed that almost all
men in Congress and other places were
corrupt, and he (Gorman) knew Smitl,
too well to follow Bonaparte in the
charge of corruption made against
him.
Still he felt that sufficient has been
shown to demonstrate that an investi-
cation should be had. He closed by de-
claring that the Postoffice Department