Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1912-08-15
mail | WAS R|FLED
Says la FOIL TTE
S''kNENAToR ALLEGES OFFICIAL
ATTEMPTED TO INTERFERE
81 WITH POSTAL PROBE.
ABSURD, !" SAYS HEADS
working Conditions Of Railway Mail
Clerks Touched Upon.-cltes
Several Cases.

Several Cases.
washington, Aug 13.-The senate
after five hours work on the post
ONCE appropriation bill, reached an
agreement to vote on the measure AT
once.
Discussion of the bill was enliyen-
"a when Senator La Toilette, speak
Ing on house provision granting to
employees of the postal service the right
to organize, deliberately charged Of
1elals of the postoff1ce with rifing his
mail in an attempt to interfere with
ep investigation he was making into
the postal service.
The Wisconsin senator declared
that his mail had been Subjected to
IN espionage almost Russian in char
acter,." and he showed to the sena-
tors bundle of letters which he
said had been tempered with.
absurd" and ridiculous" are ad-
ject1yes applied to Senator La Fol-
lette's charges by officials of the post
office department It is declared pos
lively that If the senator's mail had
been rifed the crime had been COM
mitted with somebody not connected
with the department.
DR.. Charles P. Grandfeld, first as
sistant, and in the temporary absence
Of Mr.. Hitchcock, acting postmaster
general, said:
1--WE have never heard until now
that Senator La Follette's mail had
been tempered with. I think the
Senator is quite mistaken when he
charges that officials of the postoffice
department rifed his mail in an at
tempt to learn the result of an inves-
hgation he 10 making or for any
other purpose. AS to the senator's
statement that his mail was subject
ed to an espionage almost Russian
Ia character, the charge is absurd,
as no one In the postoflce depart
ment has the slightest interest in
the replies of the clerks to the sena-
tors Inquiries"
"All mail addressed to members Of
congress in Washington passes out
Of the hands of the postofice depart
ment when it reaches the senate and
house postofaces."
= Chief Inspector Robert c. Sharp
was equally certain that Senator La
Follette's charges were unfounded
and was emphatic in his denial of
them
Culprit Would Be Punished.
mo attempt, of course, ever was
made to watch any of Senator La Fol-
lette's mail or to ascertain the con-
tents of any letter addressed to him
or sent out by him." said the inspec-
tor. "Any inspector caught opening
sealed letter not addressed to him
would be subjected to the full pen
atty of the law. In fact, an inspector
having knowledge Of the law on the
subject, could not, in such circum-
stances, escape penitentiary sen.
stence."
Senator La Toilette, after making
his charges, said that men were re.
moved from the railway mail service
"for no other reason than that they
Joined organizations designed to i'm
prove labor conditions in the ser
vice." He cited several Instances, in
Guiding the case Of George w. Mich
OILS, who, after % years of service in
the department, was suspended short
" after he became a candidate for
Office in the Railway Mail Clerks
Protective Association. The senator
discussed the "gag rules" promul-
gated by President Roosevelt and
President Taft, forbidding postofhce
employees from carrying their griev-
ances to members of congress He
had read into the record several let
tiers from mail clerks in response to
the circular letters. He asserted that
the officials of the department recog-
nized only one organization, the
Railway Mail Association, which, he
said, was dominated by the officials
Of the department.