Williams news., 1903-10-17
SEC'Y STODDARD
 AT WASHINGTON
To Answer Charges Preferred Be. fore the Secretary of the
 lnteriOr--HitchcOck

Commenting on the press dis patches stating that Secretary l. T. Stoddard was in Washington to be present when the charges against him were heard, the Phoenix Re publican, of Tuesday, had the fol- lowing to say:
 Hugh Creighton, who is regarded by many of his friends as being on particularly confidential termes with Governor Brodie, was quoted by several people yesterday as de- claring that the difference between the governor and the secretary had reached a point where they had to be fought out to a finish" "The governor" MT. Creighton was It. ported as saying, 'says that if Stod- dard isn't fired he'll resign; so it's up to the president to decide be- tween them"
 It must be said, however, that as to the publication of his sentiments with reference to MT. Stoddard, the governors attitude has been strictly correct. If he has cherished any ambition to have the secretary re- moved he has guarded the fact very we'll. But it is no secret that the relations between the executive and the secretary became strained during the legislature. The gover- nor, it will be remembered, took strong grounds in his biennial mes sage in favor of diverting the incor- poration fees from the secretary to the territorial treasury. Following the governors recommendation, a measure known as the Cowan bill was introduced, and against this bill Mir. Stoddard made an organ ized fight. Nearly all of his friends thought that he took an extremely foolish course in failing to make overtures to the governor and the legislature. Itwas generally thought and no doubt correctly-that if the secretary had frankly admitted that his receipts were extraordina- rily large and had proposed to the legislature to have law enacted which should make an equitable division between himself and the territory, there would have been few or no voices in the legislature against such a compromise meas ure. But MT. Stoddard sought counsel of nobody, so far as was known, and when the final test came the legislature was for the Cowan bill by big majority.
 It is understood that the charges now before the president are based principally upon the alleged ac- tions of the secretary during the legislature. According to we'll au- thenticated reports, he is accused of having maintained paid lobby to defeat the Cowan bill, and is ac- eused of having made a false re- port to the governor as to the amount of money he had received in fees. The charges also include the secret report made by a com mittee of the legislature, of which committee the speaker was chair man. This report was never filed, but it is said that MT. Akers ob- tained copy. It is said that the charges against the secretary were clicked into shape" and were sent on their way under the fine Italian guidance of former Secretary Chas. H. Akers and United States Mar shal Myron H. McCord. Ackers has never forgiven Stoddard for getting the appointment of secreta- ry, and back of that there was a I personal feud between the men of many years standing. McCord's grievance, it is understood, dates back to the appointment of one Benjamin Daniels, late Rough Ri- der, to be United States Marshal to succeed Marshal McCord.
 CONCLUDED ON LAST PAGE