Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-13
SENATOR OPENLY CHARGES THAT
FEDERAL OFFICIALS OPENED
HIS MAIL.
DISPLAYS PACKAGE OF
RIFLEp LETTERS IN SENATE
offor. to Prove That Letters Seeking
Reptile. From Postal Employees Were
Tempered With-AIIsses That Ma"
of Offers Was Also Opened = Son
sation in Senate.

Washington, Aug. 13.-One OF the
most sensati onal charges ever lodseo
against the postoffice department was
uttered in the senate by Senator La
toilette of Wisconsin
Under the present administrator
there exists. according to LaFollette'
a wholesale practice OF opening letters
addressed 10 those VINO have incurred
Inc eumlty of the department. he PIC
tu,eu as l.le sort Oh espionage on the
,nall OF public critics OF the depart
ment that which oDtalns In foreign
countries In connection with the oper-
atoms or secret police.
one charge was made all the more
sensational Dy the manner IN which
ar. La gillette brought 1t TO the atten-
ton OF the senate. In the miust OF an
address ne was delivering on the pend
ing postoffice appropriation OH the
Wisconsin senator held aloft package
OF letters as sample OF more than
1 900 addressed to himself which, he
asserts, bore evidence Of having been
opened while passing thru the mails.
says Mail Of Others Mas Opened.
been furnished evidence that the mail
of other persons who have criticised
the nostoffice department has been
opened Letters from prominent poll
ticians opposed to the Taft administra-
ton are alleged to have been delivered
to the recipients in condition indica-
tive OF tampering.
Senator LaFoilette was telling the
senate how he had written to between
10000 and 10000 postal clerks asking
them to confide to him what efforts
The postOffice department mad made 10
induce them to resign from the orSahl-
Zaticns they had formed for the bet
torment of working conditions In the
service.
II might say in passing, remarked
the senator, as he lifted bulky pack
age of letters from his desk. that l
encountered the enmity Of officials OF
the postal service My mail was opened
in violation of the postal laws. ! have
here a package of letters showing that
they were opened and that their con-
tents we're inspected by persons hostile
to the inquiry which 1 was making"
Senators Inspect Letters.
That was all the senator had to say
| concerning this charge on the floor OF
the senate. He replaced the packa ges
! of letters on his desk and resumed dis
cussion of the appropriation bill.
A number of senators, however. were
/ aroused by the accusation, and took oc-
ca sion to examine the letters to which
| Mr. LaFollette had called attention
| They asserted afterward that they had
| been shocked by the palrable evidence
/ Of tampering which the envelopes bore
and declared that searching investi-
cation Of the scandal should be under
! taken.
| Senator LaFollette stands ready t.
! submit his evidence in any investiga
ton inaugurated for the purpose Of fix
| ing the responsibility and Furnishing
the offenders.
The senator was i'm PEELED to address
himself personally to the postal clerks
as a result of the efforts Of POSTMASTER
| General Hitchcock to break up the or
eanizations formed by the employees o
! the service. One Of these organization
| was affiliated with the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor, and the postmaste
general said he wanted no unions II
the postal service. He argued that af
filiation with union labor would lea'
the postal employees sooner or later t
declare a strike against the govern
ment.
Sought Private Information.
In Mr.. LaFollette's letter to tn
clerks he requested answers to certai
stated questions concerning condition
Of employment in the postal service
the difficulties which clerks encounte
in obtaining improvement Of condi
tions. the redress Of grievances, tn
secret disciplinary orders, and tn
methods adopted by the postmaste
general to break UP the organization
being formed by the employees.
The circular letter stated that tn
clerks who responded might confide t
him any information on these mat