Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-09-11
PRESIDENT ORDERS
RIGID INQUIRY
Takes Position That Investigation
Will Hurt No Honest Man.
iNSTRUCTS THE DEPARTMENTS
Says lie Will stand behind Invcsti.
gators and Heads Of Depn ri .nents
in pur9inE Their Offices Where
Purging In Needed.

Washington, Sept. THE president
believes that the house cleanings In
the government departments will
strengthen his administration and help
the party. This is what he told a
number OF callers at Oyster Bay after
q conference relating to the investi-
cation now In course in the post office
department, and proposed in the de-
partment OF Justice and the interior de-
partment.
The president takes the position
that no amount Of investigation will in
jure an honest man with a clean rec
ord. He thinks il there are dishonest
men who will suffer, this should be the
price Of their dishonOr. Both the at
torney general and the secretary OF
the interior have been told To proceed
TO purge their department, If it Is
found hat they need purging, and the
president will stand behind them.
All suggestions that political consid-
erations will have the effect OF staying
the hands of the investigator shall
come from those openly arrayed
against the administration, or from
those who hope 10 see the overthrow
Of the dominant party at the coming
general election.
False Cry of Mhitcwhsh.
There was much hue and cry in the
early stages of the post Office depart
mcnt investigation, and howls that the
big fellows" would be whitcwashed.
Developments have shown the sinceri-
ty Of the post master general In his
original declaration at the time Of his
return from the West Indies, when he
3aid that the whole scandal would be
5ifted to the bottom, and no guilty man
would escape. The same will prove
true of the Investigations in Inc in
terror department and the department
IT justice.
The president has carefully weighed
The possible political effect that such
action will have. He consulted with
Mr.. Root, the secretary of war, before
his departure for London, and it was
Mr.. Roots advice hat the investiga-
tons be carried on. Mr.. Root gave an
example OF such proceeding when the
glove contracts were brought into
question. He holds hat when that in
v]estigatiOn Is complete and the results
are made public, there will remain nc
question in the minds Of any fair
minded person as to the exact char
lctcr OF the transactions which have
been brought into question, and that
not only the interests OF the govern
mcnt have been fully protected, but
the letter of the law as well as Its
spirit have been carried out.
Insists on NiuId Inquiry.
II Is well to make clear the fact that
the president made up his mind as
soon as the rumors of fraud and the
necessity Tor an investigation was
brought to his attention that there be
a rigid inquiry. The consideration of
the political effects of such action has
come quite as an afterthought, and
within the past week and long after
the decisions as to the investigations.
The president IS, however, pleased to
lind thn his political advisers bcueve
as he Toes that both the administra-
ton and the party will be benefited in
! stead of harmed by the proceedings. He
was told by one of the most practical
politicians in public life that his course
was one which would do more to es-
tablish confidence in the party than
any course he could pursue. The ad-
wiser was one who, 1t has been pOpu-
larly supposed, would have something
to lose in connection with at least one
line Of inquiry hitch has been pro-
posed.