Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-03-14
BRIEF OF M. A. HANNA READ IN
CLOSED SESSION.
STRONG ARGUMENT MADE
Facts and Testimony MarshaIled to
Impeaeh Truthfulness of State
ments Made by Wood-Long and
Hard Debate Opens on confirma-
ton of Appointment.

Washington, March 10.-The con-
test over the appointment of General
Wood to be major general was taken
up yesterday in executive session of
the senate and after listening TO a
brief prepared by Senator Hanna,
summing up the testimony which had
been given in the hearings before the
committee on military affairs, and sew
eral afidavits obtained since the hear
ings closed, the senate adjourned.
Senator Foraker announced that he
would move to take up the case at
every possible opportunity. At the
opening of the executive session, Sen
ator Scott of West Virginia, who leads
the opposition, asked To have the clerk
read the documents which had been &C
cumulated by Senator Hanna shortly
before his death. Senator Pettus OBJ
jected to the clerk reading the papers,
whereupOn Senator Scott responded
that if it were necessary he would read
the brief and affidavits himself. The
objection was withdrawn and the clerk
read the matter. as a part of Senator
SCOTS presentation of the contention
of the opposition to confirmation. "A
COPY was furnished each senator.
Under such heads as the case OF 4.
G. Rathbone, veracity of General
Wood. the Muncie article criticizing
the administration of General Brooke
as military governor of Cuba, conces-
siOns TO the Jai 'Alai company TO con-
duct a gambling establishment, Gen
eral Woods intimacy with and defense
of the convict Ballaires, General
Brooks charges that General Wood
was insubordinate, General Woods
Santiago accounts and the Castenada
case. Senator Hanna had discussed the
evidence brought out at the investiga-
ton before the senate committee on
military affairs, which he summed IN
i'm the opening paragraph of his arga-
ment, as follows:
The testimony given before the
has developed points to
which no answer is attempted by Gen
eral Wood in the various communica-
items submitted by him prior to his de-
parture for the Philippines, nor can
those communications be accepted as
a refutation of the testimony given by
witnesses under the solemnity of an
oath. To accept them as controversion
of sworn testimony is unworthy OF
credence.
Among those who he thus branded
are men i'm the military and naval serv-
ice of the United States. II is impossi-
ble to accept the mere statement of
General Wood, made prior to his de-
parture for the Philippines and COW
ering only a part of the matters at is
sue, in preference to this sworn evil
dence. Some of the testimony given
by these witnesses has cast a serious
reflection upon the veracity of GeneT-
al Wood and it would appear that
neither he nor the senate which is
asked to confirm his appointment
should rest content until he has been
given an opportunity to diSprOve, spe-
cifcally and under oath. damaging
statements made on oath concerning
his conduct. The facts 10 which atten-
llO0 VIII DG CdllGu NONlu StNlu W hidhG
this necessary, and the EonOr of the
army would seem 70 demand it."
Contentious of the foregoing char
acter were maintained by Senator Han
ma in the progress OF The investigation
of the protests against General Woods
confirmation. The CHAPTER of, Senator
Hanna's brief devoted a the subject
of Woods veracity opens with this
statement:
Several witnesses whose sworn
statements are not to be lightly i'm
peached have in their testimony re-
Elected directly upon the credibility
and veracity of General Wood. State
ments made by him in various commu-
nications are fatty disputed by wit
nesses testifying under oath and docu-
mentary evidence submitted by others
disputes statements made over his sig
nature" a