Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-22
MORE SCANDALS IN
POST OFFICE JOBS
Ugly Charges Made in Connection
With the Democratic Ma
chimes Apportionment
A dispatch to the Philadeiphia Pub

dispatch to the Philadelphia Pub
lie Ledger from Washington. says:
"Charges of collusion and corruption.
the most astounding yet exposed in the
distribution OF post Offices in Pennsyl-
vania, were made yesterday by nj. j.
Ryan, of Susquehanna, in an affidavit
submitted to Senator Penrose, OF the
post office and post roads committee.
This affidavit directly charges that Jo-
seph p. Mcmahon, recently appointed
to the Susquehanna office. offered Ryan
$4,000 to retire from the field as can
didate, and the same amount to Rich
ard n. Brush for his influence in Demo-
cratic politics.
THE salient features of the affidavit
stripped of its verbiage are:
M j. Ryan deposes that he was a
candidate for the appointment OF post
master in the borough of Susquehanna;
that ON the 18th day of March, 1912,
Joseph p. Mcmahon, one of the said
candidates for the appointment to the
same office, called upon him and sug-
gested that deponent retire as a candi-
date for such office. suggesting that he,
Mcmahon, would pay deponent $1,000
for so doing; that said Mcmahon tated
he cared nothing for the income of the
office, but sought the office because of
the prestige accompanying the same;
that on March 10, 1912. Richard n.
Brush called upon deponent and. dur
ing the course of the conversation that
ensued between deponent and Brush,
the latter stated that he had received
dorsement for the post office and ad-
mitted to deponent that such offer was
made by the above mentioned Joseph
Brush was the national delegate repre-
senting the Fourteenth Congressional
District held in Baltimore, June, 1872
PenrOse Holds Up
Senator Penrose held up the confir-
nation of Mcmahon. pending an inves-
tition by the Senate committee. He
fhrRa Othar
Pennsylvania combinations. One was
that of Albert +. Eckert, named for
postmaster at East Stroudsburg, in
were, p. G. Katz. to be postmaster at
Verona, to succeed John McCurdy, and
Walter J. McBeth, for postmaster at
the latter cases the protests came from
members of the Democratic party in
Allegheny county. In the case of Eek
ert, who was nominated for postmaster
at East Stroudsburg, Britain charges
that he had been induced to resign, up
on the understanding from Congress
that his resignation would not be acted
upon until the end of his term. Febru-
ary II. He said Eckert had told him
that Palmer would not disturb him in
office until the end of his term.
Senator Penrose,. commenting upon
the situation. said:
""The appointment of postmasters at
Braddock and Verona discloses the fact
that in both cases persons nominated
were supported by NJ. Clyde Kelly and
received their nominations on his rec
1t is said that neither
Of those men has the support of the
local Democratic administration. Not |
the oft-repeated protests |
Of the Washington party men that they
are free from any entanglement with |
either of the old parties this would !
seem to be clear case of bipartisan |
machine and some explanation OF |
Kelly's vote on the Underwood free |
.rade bill in betrayal of his constitu- /
sncy
There Are Others
"'The case of the postmaster at Sus-
luehanna is only one of a great many |
similar cases which have occurred in |
and throughout the coun
leals and arrangements with the post
,fffice appointments.
1.-The East Stroudsburg case is mere
Y an instance of sharp practices, and
hows how completely the administra-
ion has ignored the circular issued by
ling of the administration that compe-
ent postmasters would be permitted to I
erve out their terms of office. A simi-
ar statement was also mac c by Repre-
enative Palmer himself. Such a rule
vas very largely adhered to by the |
republicans in Clevelands second
erm.
"Tn this administration the protes-
atoms made at the beginning were
joon violated in the most fragrant way, |
md postmasters have been discharged |
n designations demanded on frivolous
,r trumped up charges. In fact. the |
Whole postal service has been demoral
zed to an extent. which 1t is difficult |
or the D"blic- to realize"