The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-13

ciated with him have rendered in OK
posing the scandal which put the
farmers at the mercy of the manipu-
lators and gamblers?
The New York Herald is doing
great public service in its investiga'
tons and in it's demands for reform.
It's capable Washington correspond
ent gives the following additional facts
that show the need of going "HIGH-
Err UP:"
when the matter was laid before
Mr.. Beach, he was told that 1t was
the desire Of Secretary Wilson 10 con
fine the case to Holmes alone. When
the Secretary was told that Holmes
could not be prosecuted on the secret
service case he is reported to have
said: THAT is what | want"
1T is denied that Mr.. Beach had
before him all the testimony on which
Holmes might be proceeded against.
Surface Only Scratched.
But whether Holmes shall or shall
not be prosecuted is not the question
that is just now stirring Washington.
There is a wide feeling, both here
and in New York, that only the sur
face of the cotton leak scandal has
been scratched. There is a belief here
that while Holmes sold the informa-
ton, there were others involved with
him. and that these the Secretary de-
sired to shield. He desired no more
scandal and he also desired the re-
tention of Mr. Hyde. chief statisti-
clan, who is held by the Southern Cot
ION Growers Association to be chiefly
responsible for the leakage of the re-
ports and the manipulation OF crop
figures.
What is necessary, in the opinion
of we'll Informed persons, is TO get all
The facts in the department and sec
Who is guilty and to ascertain why 1t
was that Holmes had full swing in the
Bureau, although there were others IN
authority over him.
ITO get at these facts there are
loud calls for an Independent inVeSti-
cation which will not be influenced
any more by the Secretary of ASrlcui-
ture than was the investigation con-
Quoted into tne Post Office Department
by Joseph l.. Bristow interfered with
by the Postmaster General.
Mr.. Bristow is free handed TO UNI
dertake an investigation now. He has
Just completed and made public to-
day his investigation into the Panama
railroad and transportation across the
Isthmus. He could take up the Ag-
riculture Department and go TO the
bottom of it. When he got through
the Department would be relieved OF
all it's petty frauds and the public
could have confidence once more in
the administration of some of its bu-
reaus and in its crop reports.
dominated by a Woman.
Meantime, stories will not down.
One of them is that an official III the
Department is dominated by a wo-
man clerk. who has such influence
over him that it is the common talk
of the Department. 1t is said that
on one occasion she threw at his head,
in his office, small jar OF Jelly. On
another occasion she ordered him out
of the room and told him shes would
have him removed.
Stories of other kinds are repeated
which indicate a remarkable condition
in the various bureaus of the Agricul-
tural Department.
In speaking of the threat of Theo-
dore H. Price to have him, arrested
for libel unless he retracted, Secre-
tary Wilson said:
Il have no intention of maxi
ing any public statement, or pri-
vatc statement, either of the
character demanded by Mr.. Price
and his attorney. / told them so
last night, and they know exactly
how / feel about it.
"Mr. Price asked me yesterday
to sign a statement which he
himself had prepared and | en-
phatically refused to oblige him.
The statement was one eXOnerat-
ing him from any connection
with the leak in the cotton crop
report He endeaVored to con
vince me that the statement l
gave out on Saturday concerning
the report of the investigation
libelled him and that he would
have recourse against me in the
law. He said he could prove,
moreover, that he was in no way
implicated with Associate Statis-
tician Holmes, whom ! have dis
missed, but | replied that
would not hang a pointer dog for
sucking eggs on the testimony OF
brokers who were trying to cor
rupt public official"
Respects to Mr.. Van Ripper.
'In view of the structures passed
upon him by J.. G. Van Ripper, for al
legged breach of confidence, and of the
criticism of Richard Cheatham, secrc-
tary of the Southern Cotton Growers
Association, Secretary Wilson had a
few gingery remarks to make
"Why, Van Ripper himself filed
q statement with the department
which he had sworn to. Mr..
Wilson said, land that statement
was amplified later by verbal teS-
timony in my office. Further
more Mr.. Cheatham put us on to
Mr. Price, and / fail to see why
he should be so put out because
the brokers' name was mentioned
in the report. If these men do
not want TO get the rough side OF
my tongue. they had better keep
away from my department.
Adverting again to the call or
Mr. Price at his home yesterday,
Secretary Wilson said: Il told
Mr.. Price that ! would welcome
libel suit, because we would then
be able to get at some of the facts
which the secret service men had
failed to produce. There are
doubtless some things about the
cotton leak which the investiga-
ton did not uncover, and which
very probably would come out IN
court if a libel suit were begun.
''As for recovering any of the
money which Holmes accumulated
through his manipulation of the
cotton crop reports, | do not know
how it can be done. He did not