The San Francisco call., 1904-03-12
CONGRESS INDUCES IN BITTER
ACCUSATION AND DENUNCIATION
Members Of House RoundIy Score Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow and Authorize a
Committee to Examine Into Origin Of His Report

4 House of Representatives indulged to-
day in nearly seven hours of explana-
tion. accusation and denunciation and
then ordered. with only two negative
votes, an investigation Of postal at
fairs. SO far as members of the House
are concerned, a special committee of
seven members TO be appointed by the
Speaker, who likewise are to examine
into the origin Of the Bristow report SO
far as it concerns members of the
House.
The demand of the minority for a
sweeping investigation of every branch
of the Postoffice Department was not
granted. The testimony or this question
came on a vote which resulted 144 to
195, 4 strict party vote.
A resolution for an investigation of
the connection of the members of the
department offered by Representative
Mccall Of Massachusetts was then
agreed TO, only two members opposing
it.
When the House. convened Gillett of
Massachusetts presented privileged
report.
Hay of Virginia promptly objected to
its consideration.
The Speaker in ruling on the point
said the Hay resolution was a matter
of the highest privilege, and he recog-
nized Overstreet of Indiana, who de-
sired unanimous consent for an order
giving members ten days leave to ex-
tend their remarks.
COOPER ENTERS OBJECTION.
IS Cooper of Wisconsin entered an EN-
phatic Il object"
Overstreet then submitted two prop
e-sitions. first that the discussion eX-
tend until Monday at 4 o'clock, and
the second that il extend until O'CLOCK
tomorrow.
Both pr0Dositions were objected to
by Hay. He then renewed his motion
for leave to print, which brought VIII
liams of Mississippi quickly to his feet
with the declaration that whatever is
said on this subject should be said in
the open House, and he therefore OBJ
jected. He was greeted with applause
Cowherd of Missouri was recognized
and defended the action of the commit
tee presenting the report. There was
no occasion, he said, to refer the mat
ter to the committee. The report of
General Bristow had gone out with the
approval of the President.
Il say now" he vigorously declared,
that if we must answer whether the
charge is true that Beavers usually
complied with the requests of members
of Congress. regardless of the merits
of the case, the answer is that the
charge is true
William Alden Smith of Michigan
jumped up and, holding up copy of
the report, called attention to the fact
that one of the exhibits showed the
words White House on it. He had,
he said, examined the original papers
and the words white House" were not
on them.
I would like to know" he asked
who had the audacity TO write the
words White House on that report?
COWHERD MAKES ANSWER.
THE Committee on Postoffices and
Postroads never added a word" an
swered Cowherd, smarting und4 the
imputation.
Somebody did," said Smith. with
equal warmth.
We'll, it was done in the depart
ment, then" Cowherd replied amid ap-
plause.
Cowherd then entered upon a vigor-
Gus and emphatic answer to the charges
and epithets which members had hurled
at the department. Continuing, he in
quired:
Are you going to say to the coun-
try that the department that lies about
you tells the truth about its own ac-
tions? Do you intend to go before your
constituency and the good people of
the United States and say that this
great department which has published
this report. conceived in sin and born
in iniquity,' is the purest and best and
most capable to examine into its own
iniquities2" cloud applause.)
He was, he said, a partisan and
party man, but he put the honesty
and honorable management of a great
department of the Government above
the demands of any party that ever
lived"
ATTACKS THE POSTOFFTCE.
Crumpacker of Indiana put himself
on record in favor of a committee of
members of both sides of the House
to investigate the indictments" made
against members.
THE Postoffice Department" Burle-
son said, "reeks with rottenness and is
stepped with corruption"
Public opinion, he vigorously assert
ed, after the postal disclosures, de-
manded further investigation.
1T would not down., he said, though
the Coleman at the other end Of the
avenue (referring TO the President) had
compIimented this man upon the puri-
fication that had taken place"
This demand for an investigation, he
declared, finally found expression in
the resolution of Hay.
That is what struck terror to the
gentleman who presides over the POST
Office Department he added, land who
is responsible for the document
Are you going to be intimidated? 2"
he added. Every honest man named
in the report owes it to himself to de-
mand an investigations