Show SENATOR PLATT PLAIT j jIS IS UNDER FU FIRE E I Senate Asked to Expel the New York Easy Boss CONSPIRACY IS CHARGED PETITION FILED FILED BY C W POST OST 1 OF MICHIGAN I I II Feb 8 W r Post or of I V V Battle Battie Creek lich Mich who has inter interested ested ted himself largely in the establishment ot of a post system today I rUed flied with President l Pro ro Tern Frye of Ute tile senate a 8 petition for the l lor t or of Senator Thomas C Platt from tao senate The p petition is based on tile the as that Mr r Platt Piatt as tile the executive officer r of the United States Express corn com compan pan pany is a party toa to a conspiracy to main tam Identical rates S am amOng ng express corn com cornI I panics for tor articles shipped over oyer their lines s and he isserts that Platt has told representatives or of his that he will oppose I all legislation injuriously affecting his company Interests Charges Conspiracy In his petition Mr 11 Post charges that ix express companies of the United were in a to violate the tho Jaws of the Stat States b by Ing the express business and fixing the rates lie He alleges the express companies have been cOllecting and are now annual annually ly Jy colIt collecting from the people of the Unit United United ed States and from the banks trust corn com Inies and other financial institutions and from ruin publishers of books and others having frequent occasion to require the service o 0 express companies s hundreds of of dollars 01 over 1 and Ind above just for tor the service which the ther they r render He then mentions the Post check cur eur currency rency bills bUla which ate atc and have for 50 oral eral years been before congress and says sars that b by the plans proposed tn In them much of the of small sums of money through the malls mails which is isnow Isnow now transacted by y the express companies would be taken tram from them to their in inJun inJury Jury Jun but to the tho benefit of the people of the United States and the government of the United States which itself pays many thousands ot of dollars ever every year car to the express companies for tor services which it Is one Of the objects of bill to render unnecessary Platts Past Set Forth Mr Post charges that in his capacity of president of the United States Express company Senator Platt Is particIpating In Inthe inthe the conspiracy charged and proceed mg sa says s He Be sHe Is daily dailo engaged in performing overt acts In pursuance thereof and that tn In the senate he has used and Is contin continuing to use us his inflUence as a senator to oppose th the passage of the bills bUls referred to or r Uy any ot of them on the ground that If passed d they would affect InjuriouslY the business of said express SS companies end and reduce the mount amount which raid corn com companies by reason of said combination and conspiracy are yearly early obtaining from the people of the United States over oyer and above just compensation for the services which they render n Wr Ho therefore f asks ek the senate to tuto tute an examination into the c case and that If the charges s are proven the sen senator senator ator be expelled Explaining his reason for proceeding against the senator he says sas The Only Remedy The petitioner and the public are with without ith out an adequate rem remedy dy against the said Thomas Platt b because of tile tho provisions of section 5 of article 1 of tle of the states which mul makes JI the the thc sole ole judge p of the ot of Its meI members and gives ghosto to the senate only the pow power 1 to deprIve a senator of seat In support of his statement Mr r Post I rUed flied an b by Clart Clarence nc E Dawson tb ti tho t ct ct that Senator Plait had tWo toto h was against the oost check bills because the plan Jf If woula interfere with his business sR and anci he would t e his position as a senator to defeat them hm I |