St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-12
DWIGHT AN AUTOCRAT
An Inquiry Into the Methods
Of the Literary Ring
Begun.
Efforts to Copy Historical
Documents Baked by Ii
brarian Dwight,
While a Favored Few Are At
forded Every Opportu-
nifty by Him.
Minority Report in Opposition
to the Repeal Of the Sher-
man Law.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-the house
committee on the library began an in
quiIy this morning, under which it Will
report whether or not the charges made
against Hcnly Cabot Lodge and Henry
Adams, relative to their alleged monop-
oily of tee documents III the library OF
the state department, shall he inveStl-
gated. Gen. Ii. V. Boynton recounted
how, as the representative of William
Henry Smith, general manager of the
Associated Press, he had tried through
various administrations to have certain
state papers copied, but without sue
cess. This attempt, Gen. Boynton said,
began IN the Garfield administration,
extended through those of Arthur, Cleve-
land and Harrison. and every attempt
had met with utter failure. Gen. Boyn-
ton said that during all this time he
had the hearty cooperation of the sec
retaries of state and their assistants
under all administrations, and that OF
the chief clerk and other officials, but
that when the office of the librarian was
reached every effort was baked, and
that, too, despite the fact that he was
armed with the written and verbal
Orders Of Superior Officers.
Mr.. Smith was writing history of
Gov. st. Clair and the Northwestern ter
r.tOres and criticism on Sparks Life
of Washington" and wanted the papers
copied for use in these works. After
getting written order to copy such
papers as he desired. Gen. Boynton said
he took it to Librarian Dwight, who in
formed him that tie order could not be
complied with, ard that after Assistant
Secretary Porter, who issued it. gave
Mr.. Dwight personal instructions that
the order was to be Obeyed, he was I'M
able TO do unything by reason of the
instructions put in his way by Dwight.
Gen. Boynton told the committee that
he discovered that Mr.. Lodge and Mr..
Adams were having not only access to
these papers, but that they were being
copied for them, under the supervision
of Mr.. Dwight, and related in detail
how he came to make this discovery.
Another thing that showed the exist
encc of ring i'll the library Of the de-
partment, Gen. BOynton said. was the
fact that Immediately after Mr.. Smith
had applied for
Permission to Copy
the papers and had said why he wanted
them, notice was published in the New
York papers by MIR. Adams that he was
preparing history ider tically the same
as that upon which Mir. smith was
working. The complaint and the fact
upon which the charges were made was
that there was discrimination shown
in the matter of permitting access TO
these papers, and that, while all sorts of
obstacles were thrown in the way OF
some people, every facility was afforded
those who possessed the favor Of the
librarian. Gen. Boynt0n cited as further
instances of this the cases of Moncure
ID. Conway and Mr.. Dunn, the Indiana
librarian, who were unable 10 get access
to The papers even through the assist
ance Of Senator Mcdonald, although
repeated efforts were made with that
end in view.
Mir. West. of the Washington Post.
stated that it was a matter of common
comment about the state department
that Wellington Ford, former statisti
clan of the department, was now at
work copying these papers. and that,
not being able to copy them fast enough,
he was using camera and photograph
ing them for the publishing firm he lep-
resented. The committee will probably
summon MIR. Smith, Mir. Dunn, MIR. Con-
way AID MI. Dwight before it.