The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-02
Circulation Statement
In CONTEMPT of Che senate

There Is an independence about the
executive department of our Government
at the beginning of the twentieth cen
fury that would have seemed strange and
alarming TO people who lived in the mid
die Of the nineteenth, and exasperating
enough to have started a revolution
hundred years ago. In these days the
President and his Cabinet advisers are apt
to do whatever they please and say moth
ing about it. # the Senate or House asks
invidious questions, nobody worries over
it The enquiry is simply not answered,
that is all
Late in the first session of the present
Congress. the Senate passed a resolution
requesting Mr. Mckinley 10 tell that body
what he did with the ffty-mfllion dollar
emergency fund placed at his personal
disposal just before the Spanish war We
have Yet 10 hear of any response On De-
cember IS, 1900. the Senate adopted the
resolution following:
Resolved. That the Secretary OF War be- and
he Is h5refg. directed TO transmit TO the senate
the report Gf Abraham /. Lawshe- giving IN detail
the result of his investigation. made ,iEder the
direction 81 Jhe War Department, into the re-
ccipts and expenditures Of the Cuban funds.
Does M Root comply? On the con-
trary We are told that he says ne will
see the Senate adjourn hrst. The report
asked for is said by people Who have
read parts of it to he the mos. sensation
al story yet imprinted IN the yellow press
II goes into all The myriad details OF the
corruption and rascaiity which have
marked cur rule in Cuba. That, Of course.
is sufficient reason why II should be sup
pressed; because to let its contents be
known would emoarrass the Adminjstra-
ton and perhaps injure regulations which
now are as spotless as the characters
they cover are soiled.
That. however is not the point at issue.
which IS the right of the United States
Senate to have access 10 the files Of the
War Department There can be no doubt
that when asked 10 produce a document
or TO communicate information. the Presi-
dent may refuse 10 DO so. and II is prob
able that by endorsing the resistance of a
department head as his own ne might
make a departmental refusal pass muster.
But after all the question resolves itself
iHto this: Has the Senate q right 20 ex-
anime War Department archives? In the
present ease II Is known that matters of
serious importance to tie good name and
credit Of our military and civil services,
and of the nation. have been and are being
concealed II that IS within the power
and authority Of a Secretary OF War. what
may not be- We have fallen upon a time
OF novel theories. The creatures Of the
Constitution are Independent of and above
II, aud the hired servants Of the people
are superior 10 and may snub their leg
islatiTe Representatives with impunityl
Perhaps when he comes 10 consider
the matter Mr. Root viii think better
Of his determination not to transmit the
Lawshe report TO the Senate; in which
case he may save himself the mortidca-
ton Of having it arrive there in the COL
umns Of q newspaper. The Secretary per-
haps wiz recall the ease with which The
several Magoon opinions reached the Dub
lici