Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-05-09
The Post oft1ce Departm ent.

chicago attorney to the Woman's Ma
tional Weekly. This attorney had
charge of complaint against Chi
cago concern which was making use
OF the United States mail for fraudu-
lent purposes. A similar case had
recently beer decided by the man
who has been appointed to decide
upon complaints of the kind Judge
Goodwin. Goodwin had issued a
fraud order" in the other case, very
similarly, and the frauds were quick
ly put out of business by denying
them the use of the mail service
Hon. w. Knox Haynes, who writes to
the Woman's National Weekly, says
that he confidently expected similar
prompt action in the case he had pre-
sented. But he was disappointed.
Several months passed, and nothing
done. He wrote two letters to Good
win; the first was not answered, the
second was only acknowledged. He
made two trips to Washington and
finally got a day set for hearing the
case, went down, with his witnesses,
proved his case completely and ex-
pected an immediate decision, as his
case was just like the other one 9th
er months passed, no decision was
made and the frauds were still using
the mails. Finally Mr.. Haynes went
to Washington again. In the mean
time he had sent detective to Wash
ington to look up the matter and find
out the method of juggling in Judge
Goodwin's department. He knew that
there was something rotten there.
His investigator discovered that a
former law partner of Goodwin had
appeared before him with such good
result that the fraud order was held
up and the proceedings seemed to
have ended" Finally Haynes went
to Washington again and presented
the matter to Postmaster General
Cortelyou, who thanked him for call
ing his attention to the case and Eek
planned how improbable it was fol him
to know what occurred in the routine
of his subordinates, unless called TO
his special attention, and stated that
this matter should have his personal
attention." as it did with the result
that two or three days later the usual
fraud order in such cases was is
sued
This man-Goodwin-an assistant
attorney general, whose department
has charge of these fraud complaints
has brother practicing law in Chi
cage, and it seems from letters written
to the Woman's National Weekly by
parties who have been investigated by
the post office inspectors on suspicion
of fraudulent use of the mail, that
this brother of Assistant Attorney
General Goodwin is kept advised from
Washington as to whom the depart
ment intends to investigate, and that
such parties promptly receive from
him letter advising them that he
can be of great service to them in
these cases, and stating what his
charges will be, from 81 900 upward.
1t is charged by that periodical that
this brother of the Assistant Atty.
| General is very successful in those
cases and that after he has been re-
tanned by party who is under inves-
| tigation, the inspectors and spies are
at once called off and the proceedings
dropped.
The stories told and published in
the Womans' National Weekly, Gate
daily for some time back about the
spy system of the p 0. department
and about Judge Goodwin and his
brother made interesting and suggest
i've reading, and indicate that at least
this one branch of that department
needs speedy investigation, for surely
if the charges made are true or one
tenth true, it is disgrace to ouI
NJ ton
Is is just as MIR. Cortelyou said in
the case above mentioned: One man
cannot know all the details of his
subordinates in office in such a big de.
partment of government. He must
trust to those under him, and those
under him are not of his choosing and
perhaps he does not even know them,
He is not in his place long enough to
get acquainted with them; it is an
utterly unbusinesslike way of con
Quoting department of government
a man gets the place not because he
wants it but because it puts him in
the cabinet,-a step toward the preSi,
dency, his Office being a secondary
matter. 1t is all as wrong as it can
be.