Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-08-16
MAIL WAS RIFLE
SAYS LAF0LLE'
SENATOR ALLEGES Off
ATTEMPTED TO INTERFi
WITH POSTAL PROBE
ABSURD" SAYS HE
Working Conditions of Railway,
Clerks Touched upon.-Cltes
Several Cases.

Washington, Aug. 13.-The sen,
after five hours work on the DO
office appropriation bill, reached !
agreement to vote on the measure
once.
Discussion Of the bill was enlivel
ed when Senator La Toilette, speal
ing on q house provision granting
employees of the postal service the rigt
to organize, deliberately charged o
fcials of the postoffice with rifiing hi
mail in an attempt to interfere wit
an investigation he was making in,
the postal service.
The Wisconsin senator declare
that his mail had been subjected
an espionage almost Russian in cha
acter," and he showed to the sen
tors bundle of letters which !
said had been tempered with.
absurd" and ridiculous" are g
jectives applied to Senator La f,
lette's charges by officials of the DO
office department. 1t is declared p
itively that If the senator's mail b.
been rifled the crime had been CO
mitted with somebody not connect
with the department.
DIR. Charles P. Grandfield, first 6
sistant. and in the temporary absen
OF Mr.. Hitchcock, acting postmast
general. said:
1--WE have never heard until nc
that Senator La -Follettes mail hi
been tempered with. l think Il
senator is quite mistaken when
charges that officials of the postoffi
department rifled his mail in an 6
tempt to learn the result of an inve
tigation he is making or for ar
other purpose. AS to the senator
statemspt, 4, that bis mail was subjec
led to an espionage almost Russia
in character, the charge is absur
as no one in the postoffice depal
ment has ! the slightest interest
the replies of the clerks to the sen;
tors inquiries"
"All mail addressed to members {
congress in Washington passes OF
of the hands of the postoffice depar
ment when 1t reaches the senate an
house postoffices"
Chief Inspector Robert G. Shar
was equally certain that Senator. l.
Follette's charges - were unfounded
and was emphatic In his denial o
them. Hgt
CuIprit Would Be Punished.
mo attempt, of course, ever wa,
made to watch any Of Senator La Fo'
lette's mail or to ascertain the con
tents of any letter addressed to hin
or sent out by him." said the inspec
tor. ANY inspector caught openin,
sealed letter not addressed to hin
would be subjected to the full pen
atty of the law. In fact an inspecto
having knowledge of the law on tn
subject, could not, in such circum
stances, escape a penitentiary ser
tence"
Senator La Toilette, after maxim.
his charges, said thai men were re
moved from the railway mail servic
"for no other reason than that the
Joined organizations designed to in
prove labor conditions in the SCI
vice" He cited several instances, IL
GLIDING the case of George w. Nicf
OILS, who, after % years of service
the department, was suspended shor
ly after he became a candidate fc
office in the Railway Mail Clerk
Protective Association. The senate
discussed the gag rules" promu
gated by President Roosevelt an
President Taft, forbidding postoffic
employees from carrying their grie
ances to members of congress. +
had read into the record several lie
tiers from mail clerks in response I
the circular letters He asserted thf
the officials of the department reco.
nized only one organization, Il
Railway Mail Association, which,
said, was dominated by the officia.
of the department.