The Washington times., 1905-01-14
Continued from First Pageo

made for the good of the service and
ior no other reason. The confidential
agents of the Postmaster GeneI al should
be directly under him, and not under a
subordinate. Tl4ey may be called on at
any time 70 investigate different
branches OF the department service, and
this should be done directly under the
supervision of the Postmaster Gen
eraf"
Mr. Bristow declined TO make state
ment.
The resignation of Bristow removes
from the Postoffice Department man
VINO, through force of circumstance and
oecofne one of the most powerful Of
hclals in the Government service.
Created for Rathbone
Created for the benefit of Estes G.
RaEhbcne, of Ohio, some fifteen years
ago the office of Fourth Assistant Post
master General grew from almost moth
ing TO bureau which controlled, before
the detachment of the inspectors, about
loo,fiS persons. This growth was due TO
the investigation of irregularities in the
postal service. beginning in Cuba, IN
l5eo, and extending to the present. As
BrlstoW conducted most of these in
vestigations. he gradually got control Of
several departments that were not his
IN the beginning.
As chief of inspectors Estes c. Rath-
bone was most competent officer He
was also, at that time, strong political
iS, and the Office of Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General was created for
him The duties of this office were ex-
tremeiy light. SO the poStoffice 1nSpec-
tors Were placed under control of 1t,
Fsrtly because Of Rathbone's Enowiedge
OF their work apd partly 10 give him
something TO do
TnSDecfcrS His All
When Bristow was appointed N
March, 1897, the inspectors Were practi-
caily all he had. For the next two or
three years they We're all he needed
Two years ago, when the Maehen and
Beavers scandal began to attract at
tention aad an investigation of the
whole Postoffice Department was or
dered, Mr.. Bristow and Mr. Payne de-
eided it would be well for the Fourth
Assistant to have control of rural free
delivery carriers and city letter carriers
In fact, Mr.. BristoW requested Mr-
Payne to order such a transfer
Mr. PAYNE asked Mr. Wynne, then first
assistant, and in control OF these class
eS of employees, 1t he had any objection
20 the change. Mr. Wynne did object,
but said he had nothing to do with the
action. of the Postmaster General The
-aral and city carriers We're taken from
Mir. Wynne. and given to Mr. Bristow.
Over Many Men
That gave the fourth assistant con-
troll of the rural free delivery carriers
and substitutes. numbering 5s.oie; q 800
city letter carriers, and 500 substitutes;
6, ,7e6 fourth class postmasters. PIG post
offices, no postoffice inspectors, and 160
route inspectors, total of 150.77S men,
The influence he welded as a result
of the control of so many men is read
lily understood Instead of comforting
with the Post tu,aster General on many
topics, Congressman and others desiring
the establishment CT rural free delivery
routes ard seeking other favors at the
hands Of the Possofflce Department,
sought out RTiStow. The Fourth AS
sist2nt always knew what was going en-
From the inspectors he received reports
before they went TO the Postmaster
General
When investigation of the offices of
the Second and Third Assistant Post
masters General was ordered the work
w9s done by inspectors under the con-
of affairs that caused MIR. Wynne;
months before the death of his pre-
deceSSor, 10 recommend TO Mr.. Payne
| the trarsEer of the inspectors from
| Brlstow TO the Postmaster General.
Bristow Held On.
| 1t was thought that the confidential
| agents OF the Postmaster General should
| be in direct communication with the
| lead Of tie department instead of sep
arated from him by the Fourth Assist
ant Mr.. Payne, however, did not look
al the matter in that light, and left the
! inspectors 10 the care of Brlstow
+ That the best Of feeling has not pre-
vailed between Mr.. Wynne and Mr..
Rristow is well known Before Mr..
| Wynne came Into the Postofice De-
partment Mr.. Bristow held the palm as
an investigator. but before Mr.. Wynne
had been First Assistant long he
shovel his own ability in that line
| Thirty years experience as a Wash
| ington correspondent for various i'm
portant newspapers throughout the
country had given MIR Iyynne a q,rasp
Government officials ever acquire. This
experience stood him in good stead
He began closing In on Beavers and
Machen who, feeling The results of his
efforts, and knowing that they could
not stay in the department If Wynne
staId, retaliated by fighting Wynne for
all they were worth. 1t was then that
Wynne showed his ability not only to
| hnd out things, but 10 bring influence
| TO bear
| As soon as the opportunity offered
itself, Mr. ynne. as Postmaster Gen
| recommended as First Assistant
Feeling his power slipping away from
| him. FIR. BriSJoW talked TO his friends
! IN the Senate and the House and Strove
| 10 have the President intervene.
| The Fourth Assistant announced 10
! Mr. Wynne that he would take the mat
ter up 10 the President To this Mr.
! Wynne was perfectly agreeable
| air Bristow said be would see the
| President ut $50 O'Clock on Thursday
morning and have him hold up the ac-
| ton of the Postmaster General
Wyn-e Acts.
| Mir Wynne waited until u o'clock on
| Thursday Eearing nothing from the
| White House or Mr.. Bristow, he signed
| the order which led to Mi. Bristow s
| quick resigna ton yesterday.
! For Bhile { was anybody's fight
After = struggle the magnitude OF
! which win probably never be known
| To the outside world, Wynne defeated