Newspapers / The Wilmington Messenger (Wilmington, … / Jan. 8, 1904, edition 1 / Page 1
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1 VOL. XXXVI E No. ;i. WLLMTNGTON i, P. 0. AFFAIRS Alleged irregularities Discussed in the Senate SPIRITED DEBATE Tfa Debate Arose Otct the Motion t Refer the Carmack Resolution, Wkich Calls for a Senatorial In vestigation, to Uie Committee on Posfeafficcs and Foetroads SeTeral Senators Took Part, im the Debate. The Democrats Claimed That the Co on try Would Not be Satisfied Unless a Thorough Investigation is Made. Weuliigtn, January 6. Alleged ir regmlarities In the postefhee depirtment coasiimed nearly all the time in the Seaate today- The question came up oa a motion first made by Mr. Lodge aad afterwards by Mr. Penrose to re fer the Carmack resolution looking to a senatorial investigation of the depart ment to the committee on rostoffices and post roads. The democratic Sena tors resisted the motion and contended that the country would not be satisfied with on investigation of a department made by the department itse'.f. The debate continued for almost two and a half hours and was extremely spirited from start to finish. Mr. Carmack resisted Mr. Lodge's motion, declaring: that if departmental irregularities were to be investigated only by the department themselves it would not be long until there would be "a stench in the nostrils of the people." The only safeguard was in congression al investigation, he said. Mr. day, expressed surprise that there should be opposition to the reso lution and called attention to the de clarations by Fourth AssiFtant Post master General Bristow and Counsel lors Bonaparte and Conrad that the investigation should be carried further. He declared that the B'ristcw report "demonstrates the absolute guilt of the late first assistant postmaster general, Mr. Health. He (Bristow) says h.m self that this leading high official was guilty and the prooof is overwhelming. If this is true, Mr. Heath should have been indicted. "I will do Mr. Bristow the credit to say that his report shows that frauds of post office department originated in Mr. Heath's office. If so he mosi have had cognizance of them. Then why should the subordinates in that Cilice be indicted and the principal b? allowed to escape?"' Reference also was made to the ne gotiations -with I). S. Richardson con cerning the Montague indicator in which Mr. Clay said there were many suspicious features pointing to Mr. Heath. Mr. Ciay declared his conviction from a thorough reading of the Bristow re port that Mr. Bristow had been satis fied beyond a doubt that the guiltiest party of all was the retired first assis tant postomaster general, yet he had never been indicted or arrested. "In the interest of fair play, in the interest of justice, in the interest of good gov erament and clean administration" he said, " there should be an inquiry, and I am surprised that my friend the Sen ator from Massachusetts, (Mr. Liodge) should object." Hr. Clay also declared that the Pres ident had reflected seriously upon Mr. Heath and had desired the retirement f Mr. Heath from the secretaryship of the Republican National convention. "Mr. Clay was careful to say that he Intended no reflection upon Mr. Wynne, the present first assistant postmaster general. On the contrary, he tok pains to speak in high terms ofMr. "Wynne, saying that he haft given material as sistance to the department inquiry. Mr. Carmack made a general plea for a senatorial inquiry and the reason given by him was the newspaper re port to the effect that the postmaster .general had not been in sympathy with the postoffice department inquiry when undertake and that he had pronounced Tulioch charges to be "hot air." The statement aroused. Mr. Spconer, who said that the charge did great in justice to the postmaster general. So far as the 'Bristow inquiry was con cerned Mr. Payne had been In thorough sympathy with it and had placed the entire machinery of the department at the command of the official who mad? this most remorseless inquiry. Mr. Carmack repeated the report that Mr. Payne had referred to the Tulioch oharges as "hot air" and (Mr. Spooner repMed that Mr. Payne had remained at his desk in this city day after day all last summer while the inquiry was . im progress, notwithstanding he was in very poor health, devoting every ener gy to eeeing that "the truth should be "brought out and the department purg--ed of every element of graft." : Mr. fcarthack declared the . irregular- ities in the postoffice department bad shown an Inefflcieacy in the administra tion. Mr. Spooner said there could not be any disputing the fact that Inefficiency had been shown, and that it waa began In the Cleveland administration. Mr. Gorman said he was willing to have all the resolutions calling for in vestigations of the postoffice depait-: ment referred to the committee on post office and postroads as he had rce.ved assurances from the chairman that prompt action would be taken. In this connection, however, he said, he wanted to call attention to the fact that all of the debate on this subject had but em phasized the necessity for an investi gation of the postoffice department. He said he had no desire to Investigate any particular officer; that he believ ed the Investigation should be much broader than that, as the irregula:! tles had crept in by degrees and their corruption possibly had been a part of three or more administrations. It has now reached a point, where men who are corrupt themselves have disclosed the corruption of others "My purpose," he added, "is not so much to expose this corruption as by the action of Con gress In making protective" laws to eliminate the chance of such corruption in the future in the postoffice depart ment." Mr. Spooner asked if Mr. Gorman would not be willing to supplemeat that suggestion by calling upon con gress for a thorough investigation of all departments at stated periods. Mr. Gorman answered that he would be willing to make the change, but for the present he was content to deal with the question in hand. Continuing he declared that the corruption was not a party matter; that the present post master general could not have been re sponsible for the state of affairs in his department, as it started before he en tered upon his duties at the head of the department. A severe denunciation of the charge of suppression of information was made by Mr. LOdge, who sa".d that he was thoroughly tired of that old weak ened story which had been maie ove." and over again by Senators on the oth er side of the chamber. He said it is quite true that the Republicans had nearly two-thirds of the members of the Senate and that he wanted to in form the other side that they were thoroughly responsible for their con duct of affairs and that as they were responsible they proposed to conduct their affairs in their own way. Con tinuing he said: "We are not afaird of day light; we are not afraid of the Senator from Maryland and least of all we are not afraid of that old time worn story of suppression of public In formation." After some further coMoquy between Messrs. Spooner and Teller over cau cus control of party action in the Sen ate an agreement was reached to post pone further discussion of the pestoffice question until Friday next and the Senate adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. - Washington, January 6. The only measure considered in the House tcday was a bill introduced by the delegate from Ha wait to ratify an act of the Hawaiian legislature to authorize th? manufacture and distribution of el: c tric light and power on the isl?nd of Oahu. territory of Hawaii, which came up for consideration under call of com mittees. Owing to objections made to the bill in the form presented it was recommitted to the committee cn terri tories. Reference was made by Mr. Robinson to the absence of Delegate Kaihanianaole, saying the committee was embarrassed on that account. CAPTAIN IiUMLKY SUED By Naval Officer for Arbitrary Con duct Toward Him. Washington, January 6. Robert Burton Rodney, paymaster with the rank of lieutenant commander on the retired list of the navy, today brought suit for 50,000 damages aaglnst Captain Samuel C. Lemley, judge advocate general of the navy for alleged long continued "pecuniary and naval grade losses" and indigni ties. The complainant alleged that Captain Lemley has usurped practical supremacy in the navy department and is depriving the complainant of legal rights under his commission. NO SUCCESSOK TO LONGSTREET. Officer of Railroad Commissioner to be Abolished. Washington, January 6. Secretary Hitchcock, of the interior department has recommended to the President that the office of railroad commis sioner held by the late General James Longstreet, be abolished. It seems probable now that the recommenda tion will be adopted and that no suc cessor to General Longstreet will be appointed.- For two years the In terior department has made no esti mate for the salary of railroad com missioner, the necessary appropria tion for General Longstreet's salary of $5,000 being made by congress on Its own initiative. The duties of the office practically have been absorbed by the inter-state commerce commission. Resigns Position With the Southern. "Columbia, S. C. January 6. P. I. Wells, superintendent of the Savan nah division of the Southern rail way has resigned, effective January 31st or as soon before as he can be relieved. He has accepted the posi tion of general manager of the Co lumbia Electric Street Railway Com pany, which was re-organlzed today. Mr. Welles has been superintendent of the Savannah division since Sep tember, 1895. LACK OF CARE Terrible Condition of Af- , fairs Existed in the Theatre NO PRECAUTIONS ST By Uie Testimony of the Managers of the Iroquois it Was Shown .That There Had Been no Provisions Made for Putting Out a Fire if One Occurred None of the Employes Were Instructed What to Do if Fire Should Occur Eleven of , the Exits Were Locked on the Day of the Fire. ' Chicago. January 6. By their w. evidence given today before Monroe Fulkerson, who is conducting the fire department investigation into the Iro quois theatre horror, the proprietors oi the theatre, showed that a worse- con dition of affairs existed than had here tofore been thought possible. Will J. Davis. Harry J. Powers and Thomas J. Noonan, active managers of the Iroquois theatre, were examined by Mr. Fulkerson today. All of them pleaded ignorance of any precautions taken to prevent loss of life by fire at their theatre. They admitted fail ure to instruct . employees in fighting fire, arid failure even to provide suita ble appliances, for use against; the flames. Their statements were corrob erated by the testimony of twenty em ployees of the theatre, none of. whem had ever been told his duty in case of fire. Noonan who Is the working manager cf the theatre under direction of Davis and Powers, admitted today that eleven of the theatre exits were lock ed and bolted. Two of these exits leading to the front of the theatre cn the ground floor were locked, three ad ditional exits on the north side of the ground floor were bolted, three ex-ts on the north side of the theatre from the first balcony were bolted, and three exits on the north side of the second balcony were bolted. The greatest loss of life ifrom the fire was in the first and seeond bal conies where hundreds of people were suffocated through the inability tn gt out cr were tramped to death wh;'e trying to do so. Had these three exits in each balcony been availabj-i, according to Inspector Fulkerson th iols of life must have been greatly diminished. Noonan declared that no person had been named by the theatre manage ment to superintend the operation of the ventilators of the theatre in case of fire and that in consequence the names had been permitted to sween the place, instead of seking a natural outlet through the stage roof. It was said by Noonan that George M .Dusn berryJhe head usher, Archibald Ber nard, chief electrician and the thea tre engineer knew how to operate tv ventilators. It was proved by the ev idence of these men. however, that two of them never went upon the stage and that the.' other had never been told to assume charge of the ventilators in case of fire. From figures obtained by Noonan to day it became -evident tiiat almost on in three of the people who attended the matinee - lost their lives, the aer centage being a trifle over 31 per cei:t. The theatre seated 1,606 people and In Addition to these 236 had been admit ted after all these were sold, making a total of 1.S52 people in the theatre of whom 591 were killed. That the employees In the front of the house were thrown into a panic by the fire was shown by the testimony of all stage hands examined today. Two ushers, each sixteen years old, de clared that they ran on the first alarm of fire and did not return to tbe theatre until the next day. The stage. hand3 said they all sought safety on hearing that the place was on fire. The formal inquest into the fire will begin tomorrow morning. The first witnesses called will probably be spec tators who were in the theatre, when the fire was discovered and after them the stage hands will testify. DISPENSARY ON FIRE. Several Barrels of Whiskey Burned. Licenses Revoked. (Special to The Messenger.) Wilson. N. C. January 6. The Wil son dispensary caught fire this mornm? at 4 o'clock. Several barrels of whiskey Vere burned, besides consid erable damage being done to the large stock of bottled goods on hand and tc fixtures of thd Tlar. Tho low will amount to about $1,000, which Is ful y a coerea insurance. The Oliein Of -th flr 4 irurmrMod tn be incendiary, as what appeared to be burned tar was found bv a trash ple in me room where the fire originated, and a window txine had been broken out of the front of the building. isusnness continued as usual after a few hours Interruption. The county commissioners had a meeting yesterday at which they de cided there should b no more tWnw granted In Wilson county, and revok ing those that had already been taken out. This action is considerably et t icieed by many, while it meets with the approval of others. Tokio. 1 se authl ing exph far eastej "The made cot act. Om month o cessions. Japan, si and assu the Japai of reachii ment. "The Ja fident in tht estedness inl Russia, and clal interest I regulate, one in the far eaj ture peace an end Japan ma posals : "(1) Russia ai1 tually respect thl territorial integri Corea. "(2) To recogfl Japan, the special i in Manchuria, Ru Interests of Japan in KJ) to engage infringe Japan, . thl right9 and immuniti Russia in Corea; R mercial rights and quired by Japan in V "In making the th Japan wished not only own rights in China Russia in Corea, but t! the principle of equ ment the commercia nations in Corea and "Russia declined propositions and sub proposition wnicn c providing for the ci tral zone extending Corea frontier to east and to Ping- This zone compri of Corea. "Thi3 Russian from Japan all g tection of her and sequestrated of Corea, wher tion, Japan's 1 and which ever being within t Japan. "The propo ese public opi accept me prj Tokio, Jai here that been hande the secret zealousy guj the reply ister of called this Rosen, th with whoi later he whn held. that fi place. Japan cusslonl this isi LoniJ Reuterl Tokio ships report? Port A "Ruf recelvl widesY ports acter I
The Wilmington Messenger (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Jan. 8, 1904, edition 1
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