The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-08-23
UNCLE SANS SCIENCE
CHAPS POOR GRAFTERS
UNDERPAID MEN DOING GREAT WORK AND
WHOSE WIVES SEE THAT THEY GET CARFARE
IN THE MORNING-ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS
WHO LINE THEIR POCKETS WITHOUT CON-
SCIENCE.

WASHINGTON, Aug 23.-The dig
ging for graft in the government de-
partment continues. and almost every
day new finds are reported.
The most active work in the in
| vestigation line is that which is
reaching into the affairs of the gov
eminent printing office, the land de-
partment of the interior department,
| and the various bureaus of the agri-
| cultural department. Unless all signs
| fail, there will be at least one other
great department of government in
| volved in the scandal list before the
| frost is on the pumpkins.
The most important CRAFTS thus far
brought to light are those in Secre-
tary Hitchcock's interior department.
| They involve the greatest stealings,
| have been uncovered with the great
| est difficulty, and have brought to the
| law the most prominent culprits.
| United States Senator Mitchell has
been convicted; two members of the
| house of representatives have been
| indicted: another United States sena-
| tor is listed for probable prosecu-
! ton: two or three more United States
senators are under suspicion and are
being Investigated.
Next to the land frauds come the
disclosures which were made by Joe
Bristow in the postotfice department.
The work of cleaning up the post
office department is now being push
ed quietly by Postmaster General
Cortelyou, who is doing more than
| from the mails the fraudulent
schemes by which millions of dollars
are annually mulcted from the credu-
lous.
The next most important graft dis
| closures have been in the govern
ment print shop Before the chilly
weather comes it will be well to look
for change in the office of public
printer.
Most recent and fresh in the public
mind are the scandals in the agri-
cultural departments bureau of crop
statistics.
| Incidentally, there is a very sim
pie remedy for any trouble over cot
ton figures leaking, to-wit: to have
everything relative to the collecting
compiling and publication of the data
| open to the public at any and all
| stages. There is no occasion for
secrecy, and no use for it except to
| jolt the market.
1t is a pity to bring discrcdit on
real graft investigations by raising
a cry against lot of under-paid gov
eminent scientists. AS matter OF
fact most of these scientists haven't
business sense enough to keep cal
fare in their pockets, and to charge
them Gas class) with bilking the
government is as absurd as the
thought of child in pinafore brow
beating the Standard Oil company
In these scientific departments OF
government are graduates of Ameri
can ana foreign Universities who ar,
pursuing lines of original research
such as were pursued by Darwin
Lamarck, Dana, Sir Wyville Thomp
son, Sir Archibald Geikie and Pro
fessor Won Mttel, all of whom-b,
the way-made their great discov
cries and wrote their famous works
while government employees.
The nitro culture process which
was invented by Professor Moore
working for $1,000 year, is admitte,
tot be worth to the farmers of tn,
United States $l0,O00,O00 year, al
fertilizer for reclaiming nitrogen
less lands. If Professor Moore ha'
done what a less scrupulous maj
might have done-resigned befor
making the final announcement of hi
discovery-and then organized
company to put his product on tn
.
.