Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-09-10
PRESIDENT ORDERS
RIGID INQUIRY
Takes Position That Investigation
Will Hurt No Honest Man.
INSTRUCTST DEPARTMENTS
Says He VIII stand Behind Investi-
gators and Heads of Departments
in Purging Their Offices Where
Purging is 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
a conference relating to the inves.i-
cation now in cours 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
lure an honest man with q clean rec
ord. He thinks if 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 that 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 to see the overthrow
of the dominant party at the coming
general election.
False Cry of Whitewash.
There was mucn hue and cry in the
early stages of the post office depart
ment investigation, and bowls that the
big fellows" would be whitewashed'
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
said that the whole scandal would be
sifted to the bottom, and nc guilty man
would escape. The anne will prove
true of the Investigations in me in
terior department and the department
0f justice.
The president has carefully weighed
the possible political effect that sucl
action will have. He consulted will
Mr.. Root, the secretary of war, before
his departure for London, and it was
Mr.. Roots advice that the inveStiga
tions be carried on. Mr., Root gave al
example of such proceeding when thu
glove contracts were brought int
question. He holds that when that in
vestigation is complete and the results
are made public, there will remain nj
question in the minds of any fair
minded person as to the exact char
acter of the transactions which hav
been brought into question, and tina
not only the interests Of the govern
ment have been fully protected, bu
the letter of the law as well as it
spirit have been carried out.
Insists on Rigid Inquiry.
1t is we'll to make clear the fact tina
the president made up his mind a
, soon as the rumors of fraud and tn
necessity for an investigation wa
brought to his attention that there b
a rigid inquiry. The consideration G
the political effects of such action ha
come quite as an a%fterthought, an
within the past week and long afte
the decisions as to the investigation!
/ The president is, however, pleased
find that his political advisers bellev
J as he does that both the administers
! ton and the party will be benefited in
. stead of harmed by the proceedings. H
was told by one of the most practice
politicians in public life that his cours
was one which would do more to es
=, tablish confidence in the party tina
, .... $500. h. n1,,1I ,,,,,,,a T1,o pS
wiser was one who, it has been popr
larly supposed, would have somethin
to lose in connection with at least on
line of inquiry which has been pro
I pocad