The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-30
THURSDAY. APRIL 80, 1903.
Dark Lantern Methods.
Keep It Dark Seems TO Be the
Watchword of Some Members
OF the Administration.

OF the Administration.
Is the Administration of President
Roosevelt to pass into history as one
pledged to the suppression of sean
dals? Is 1t to be known hereafter as
the "dark-lantern" regime7 Or will
II pull itself together, face the music.
and do its own house cleaning, instead
Of leaving that task to others?
We confess that we have an abiding
faith IN the honesty and grit of Thee
dore Roosevelt. No abuse will be per
nitted to take root, if he can prevent
II. No betrayal of a public trust viii
go UNPUBLISHED If he can reach the cul-
prit- But he Is surrounded by men
whose views Of right and wrong are
tempered and modified by political
considerations TO such an extent that
tie country may presently be called
upon to sanction the adoption of two
different ethical codes-the one
adapted to the convenience of public
officials, the other for use among the
common people.
On what grounds, we may well ask.
can Attorney General Knox justify
his now celebrated cable to United
States District Attorney Pettingill, of
Porto Rico7
Dismiss pending proceedings in smuggling
cases, and present no new cases to grand jury
unless otherwise directed hereafter.
What right had be, the Attorney
General of the United States, to in
terfere with the duties and preroga-
tives Of the grand jury at San Juan,
or, indeed, any grand jury anyhere7
Would he have presumed to interfere
with the work Of a grand jury at
home, say, at Pittsburgh We know,
and he knows, that he wouldn't have
No wonder, then, that the Porto Ri
cans grow indignant and exclaim that
there Is law which "says one thing
for the rich, another for the poor; one
thing for Americans with influence,
and another for Porto Ricans without
influence" Whence arises this itch
ing desire to dictate TO grand jury
whom it shall, or whom it shall not,
indict7 In word, why this attempt
at suppressing the truthq
Within day or two the report of
General Miles has at last seen the
light of day. Puerile and frivolous
as that report is, the desire to pigeon
hole 1t permanently without permit
ting the contents TO reach the public
was manifest from the start. It was
practically dragged into the sunlight
against the protest of officials. But
for the insistence Of some weIl-mean-
ing "goo-goos" IN Boston and Phila-
delphia it would never have become
public, and would have been allowed
to molder IN the archives Of the War
Department.
There may be reasons why the State
Department should at times maintain
a discreet silence, especially when
publicity tends to affect injuriously
the interests of foreign and friendly
governments. But there can be no
reason fer suppressing the facts IN a
case where high official of the de
partment tricked his superior into
ealing upon the navy to engage In a
debt-eollecting expedition for secur-
ing the payment of claims that had
been adjudged fraudulent by the law
officer Of the department. In this
case, as in certain others, there was
no occasion for concealing the truth.
Only rumors, so far, affect the man
agement Of certain bureaus Of the
Treasury Department, yet the attitude
of the officials is such as to indicate
an unn1istakable desire on their part
to cireumvent an inquiry We shall
await developments with judieious
curiosity.
When We come to the pending in
vestigations IN the Postofice Depart
ment, however, we reach, IN sporting
phrase, 3'the limit" Charges are
spread broadcast over the country.
Nothing in them; investigated long
ago and found to be absurd" say the
officials, with a grin. A long silence
ensues. Congress adjourns and the
Postmaster General departs on a long
cruise IN West Indian waters. Pres
emily It becomes bruited about that
that '1ong-legged jay from Kansas"