Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-02-27
Much Cry and Little Wool.

Much Cry and Little Wool.
The prevailing sensation Of the week
has been the public printing scandal
and the allegations Of fraud so freely
hurled about by the parties enacting
the leading roles in the lively little
drama. Mr.. Levy, a Representative
from King, who was made chairman
OF committee to investigate the valid
ity Of :he deficiency bills for printing
done under an award made year or
more ago, to several printing concerns
throughout the State, has been in the
sweatbox some days past.
The moment the Levy committee
began its labors, there was smell OF
smoke, and very soon an incipient
flame burst forth revealing the discov-
cry that, although the Olympian's bids
had been rejected by the board as be.
ing higher than the accepted tenders,
the Uympian had received 81 800 for
Withdrawing the proposition. 1t did
not seem to make much difference to
the accuser when his attention was
been withdrawn. His assertion that
there had been price paid by the
f,,1 hn ~,
stand, even though deprived of this
essential prop.
Then began battle OF cross pur-
posed and it ran until finally three OF
the principal contractors-Gwin Hicks
of the State Printing Office, P. L. AL.
len of the Metropolitan Press, of Seat
tie, and AL. B. Howe OF the Pioneer
Bindery, Tacoma-formulated set of
charges against Levy, as chairman of
the House investigating committee,
aud asked for his removal from said
committee, refusing to recognize his
authority to subpoena and question
them. They claim that he made fire..
quent demands upon them for the
payment OF a monetary consideration
as condition for q favorable report
and recommendation for payment of
the Indebtedness incurred.
Their request that special com.
mittee be appointed to investigate the
charges they had made against Levy
was adopted and Representative Glea-
son OF King made the motion to ap-
point committee and suggested that
no King county man be constituted
member Of it. The motion carried
and York OF Pierce, Quinn of Spo-
kane, Allis of Lewis, Wilson of Kitti-
tas and Craigue of Snohomish were
appointed said committee. The senti-
ment OF the House seems to be in
favor of q rigid investigation. The
men who have made the accusations
against Levy are responsible in fnan-
cial sense, and should prove their as.
sertions or suffer the consequences.
If their assertions are true it involves
turpitude but seldom displayed by
men who are able to reach, by vote of
an intelligent and discriminating peo-
pie, the sacred position of law-giver.
Since the above article was placed
in type, the committee has submitted
q report completely generating Mr..
Levy from all blame, while admitting
that he might have been indiscreet in
his conduct, and that bis acts had led
to misinterpretation OF lis motives
on the part OF the contractors, that
they fail to find anything that might
indicate criminality in his conduct.
The committee likewise very plainly
intimate their belief that the parties
signing the charges-the contractors
did not intend or expect that their
charges would be made the subject of
close investigation, and that their OBJ
ject was to restrain Mr.. Levy from
full and free investigation and to shield
themselves from consequences which
investigated, would disclose.
Speaker Hare expressed the hope
that Mr.. Levy's committee would now
go to the bottom of the printing mat
ter, which admonition was probably
unnecessary under the circumstances.
The contractors for the State print.
ing, had they remembered the fate OF
poor Metcalfe few years ago, who
endeavored to expose bribery, and not.
withdrawing he arose in his place
with handful Of greenbacks he said
had been paid him to influence his
vote, was numerically flagellated by
his party friends and political foes,
as we'll as being ostracised by the
community, it is doubtful whether
they would have attempted such
method OF defense no matter how we'll
supported by facts.
1t is by no means intended to init
mate that this is parallel case, but
had it been, there is sufficient evidence
at hand to show that any effort to
expose fraud is likely to fail when
made before deliberative instead of a
judicial body OF men.
>0>
FRENCH INTELLECT ADOPTS AN AMER
1cAN TEACHER. - The French news
papers appear to place q due apprecia-
ton upon President Roosevelt's letter
to Mrs. Van Worst, deprecating the in
creasing tendency of Americans to
evade the. duties Of marriage. France
has long fought against the tendency
of the so.called better classes" to
shirk the responsibilities of maternity,
and grave predictions have been made