The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-01
\ scArH1NG ARRAIGNMENT.

A sCATHING ARRAIGNMENT.
 The Boston Herald Is one of the most conservative and high-toned newspa- pers in the country. Not a taint of yell low Journalism can be found in its col- umns ,and its editorials though lengthy and somewhat solemn, are eminently conservative and dispassionate. Hence. when 1t criticises ono occupying high position we know that 1t feels not only Justified in doing so. but that 1t Is per- forming . duty. A recent editorial on the Paul Morton embrog1io begins in this way:
 The Presidents letter to Paul Morton. which he made a public document. con. :. tained misstatements of a Kind or which. when made by his opponents. he fl cannot too heartily commend the fearless and frank way in which you (and you alonel came forward and in public gave legal evidence of the facts which every one in interest privately admitted to exist. but which the Inter yiously i been unable legally to estab- fish" The truth is. as now declared in in washington, that the commission, in m making its lnvesfiga,nion mad Sefore nm'nl it eight of whom before MT. Morton had given testimony admitting. that the law was being broken Thus the .dii,n d1st,nosiiHn wif, ness vanishes.
 That Is really a very serious charge to bring against the President. If 1t had used the plain English indulged in by bluff- talking people. 1t would have accused Roosevelt of lying. but it tones it down by using the word "misstate- ments" The term is equally signifi- cant, but less offensive. In other words, 1t is putting a direct charge in parlia- mentary language.
 The important thing is that The Her. aid sustains It's charge beyond doubt It shows that Roosevelt either wilfully misstated the case or that he affirmed as a fact that which he did not know to be true. We believe the law makes no distinction between these two classes of false testimony.
 The Herald also calls attention to the Presidents very positive assertion that mot a shred of evidence exists or Is to be had that Mir. Morton had any knowl- cusS oL thC iCoutahb pAueeiStu cy siAo Santa Fe Railroad" Here, again, the evidence is very positively against his excellency the President. The Herald shows mot only by ample evidence of others but by Morton's own statements that he was fully advised of all that was going on, and that if the violations of law were not of his ordering they were undoubtedly within his knowl- edge.
 Mir. Morton himself denied that he had any knowledge of a certain secret circular sent out by one Mir. Riddle, and | which was intended for the government and guidance of railroad officials and employees in granting and arranging the illegal rebates. But we have the posi- tive testimony of MT. Riddle and of the President of the railroad company that Mir Morton was fully aware of what was being done, and we have his own statement to a Washington correspond ent that MT. Riddle did exactly right. If I had been in his place. I should have done the same thing" was his language.
 Do not all these established facts prove that there was very much more than "a shred of evidence" to sustain the charge that Morton was not only cognizant of what was being done. but that he was an open eyed partner and a beneficiary of the law-breaking? And do they not sustain with equal certainty the charge that the President positively asserted as a fact that which he did not know to be true. or that he wilfully and knowingly made misstatements? It may be a near approach to lese majesty to thus charge the President of the United States with prevarication. but he has brought 1t on himself. As The Herald says:
 The fact is. the President undertook to try the case himself He accepted Secretary Morton's plea of not guilty as conclusive of his innocence, and gave him as sweeping testimonial of char acter and wisdom as the practical MT Roosevelt could frame. This was the Presidents volunteered substitute for the acquittal Mir Morton would cer- | tainly have got from an impartial court if he was innocent of wronsdoing, as the President insists. But in such q matter an executive testimonial, after an ex parte investigation. does not have the weight of an impartial Judicial nollt prosequi. It may satisfy MT. Morton 1t does not convince the people.
 This is expressing 1t courteously but with due perspicuity. The truth of tho matter is, as any one should be able tc see, Roosevelt was determined that Morton should not be prosecuted. The latter was his personal friend and 6 member of his Cabinet. He would stick
 by his friend at any sacrifice of fair ness, justice or decency, and he would turn the breath of scandal from his ap-
 pointees. He made a failure and the
 fair, honest and independent press IS
 showing him up.
 The Thomasville (Ga.) Times Enter.
 prise has a great scheme for lighting a.. h,,er