The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-12
The Secretary Is Said 10 Have SCOT
This He vigorously Denies.
SUIT FOR 100000 DAMAGES
CHICAGOANs CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN
LIBELED By THE FARMER,
Scandal Growing Out OF the Seed Con-
tract-Nfcaragua Canal Commission
ers' Report Criticised.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE recent
closing of contract for furnishing seeds
for general distribution by the government
has resulted in the fling OF charges at the
Department OF Agriculture by Breslsn.
Goodwin & Co., a Chicago seed firm,
against Secretary Morton. The allegations
are that their bid, though lowest. was re-
fused because the firm had urged the pass
age of the resolution providing for the re-
vival of the distribution OF seeds, notwith-
standing Secretary Morton's protest; that
reports furnished by officers 10 rhe depart
ment, to Secretary Morton, TO Senator
Proctor, of Vermont chairman OF the Sem
ate committee on agriculture, and 90 Mr.
Wadsworth, chairman OF the House COM
mittee, had been manipulated in order 10
show that the firms seeds were below the
standard; that Assistant Secretary Dabney
had insisted on the company. i'm case IL re-
ceived the award, using the machines OF
the Brown Bag-filling Machine Company,
and that Mr. Dabney had decided against
the company because OF the refusal TO do
this. 1t was alleged furthermore that the
Secretary and his assistants had falsely
stated that the company had refused to put
its name on the seed packets.
Secretary Morton and the other officials
of the Agricultural Department make an
absolute denial OF the truth OF the charges,
and say the award of the seed contract
was based on the percentage OF purity and
germinative power of the seeds tested by
the department last year at a time when
there was no prospect Of further distribu-
tion- Secretary Morton said to-day that
when he found a distribution OF common
seeds was required by law he called in Sen
A.
worth and asked them TO go over the BIDS
with him, and that, after careful and de-
lberate consideration of ali the bids and
of the records kept by the department, IL
was decided Senator Proc. y, arst mak$y
the suggestion TO offer j.. --a@.rsth Co,
of Philadelph,, lump srT ~ $1,000 10
furnish the vegetable seeds, arr A. L. May,
of St. Paul. Mum. $500 to furnish the
flower seeds. The Landreth original bill was
$4,000, and the May bid half cent per
Senator J9rscuor's sugges tion had been
adopted, were called in, the offers accepted
and the contracts signed THIS made $ll,000
more than the bids of the Chicago firm,
based on the reliability. the facilities and
the essential nearness TO Washington or
declined to discuss the question further.
saving that the bids were made - open
market. as required by law. and that none
Secretary Morton added 1--WE will be only
too glad to have the fullest Investigation
possible of the matter The complaining
firm might have articles Of impeachment
drawn up against me and brought uD IN
Congress and the question tested TO the
end The Landreth firm, which has been In
business ia years, and, unlike the Chicago
company, grew its Seeds obligated itself In
bonds to submit to a deduction from the
amount paid for seed in precise proportion
TO failure of the seed TO come up TO the
standard tests. This is the first time in the
history of the Agricultural Department that
such contract has been made.
Mr. John ~. Baldwin, of Council Bluffs, la
counsel for the seed company, and Mr.: Bras
Ian, one of the firm, to-day retained Messrs.
Worthington & Larner, of this city, and in
structed them TO file a suit for 100000 dam
ages for libel. The suit will be based on the
published statement that the Northrup- Bras
lan-Goodwin Company was commission
house, and that they would not put their
names on the packets as guarantee OF the
state that this charge is false and has in
jured the firm; that II has 1900 acres of land
under cultivation in the growing OF seeds,
and that at the time this statement was
made the Secretary had the firms offer 10
supply the seeds at $1,000 under it's bid II the
Secretary would permit its name TO appear
on each package