Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-03
Especial correspondence.)

Especial correspondence.)
Washington Bureau Of the Courier.
Washington, D. c., July 20.
Will the present troubles in the
department of agriculture cause
Secretary Wilson to become a
candidate for governor of Iowa in
1906?
This is a political question which
promises to develop along with the
disclosures of scandals and extrava-
gancies in the department of which
Tama Jim" has been the head for
more than eight years. The cotton
scandal Is the particular matter now
under investigation and as Morgan
H. Beach, United States attorney for
the District Of Columbia, Is after not
only the men who in the capacity of
expert crop statisticians'' juggled the
figures and gave the bulls and bears
of Wall street advance tips, but also
the persons who paid them for so
doing, 1t seems certain that the
grand jury which has assembled will
bring down some important game in
the form of indictments.
OF course 1t goes without saying
that nobody questions Secretary Will
sons sincerely or integrity. His only
fault Is held to be that as a thor
oughly honest man himself he could
not believe those he trusted were
dishonest
But the disclosures of crookedness
in the department which he has be-
lieved to be clean have proved a
great trial to Mr.. Wilson. An attack
Of illness from which he suffered this
week was probably partially brought
on by anxiety and disappointment
concerning the present condition of
affairs
Mr.. Wilson was bitterly complain
Ing today because he had been SUBJ
poenaed, duces tecum, by the grand
jury. This means that he will be
obliged to bring his books and docu-
ments before the grand jury for such
information as lit desires It Is not
frequent that cabinet officer Is thus
called upon.
Had Confidence In His Men.
Meanwhile John Hyde, the resigned
chief statistician Of the department,
has quietly slipped off to Europe. He
was one Of the men Secretary Will
son trusted to the limit
Mr.. Wilson finds himself in much
the same position that Henry G..
Payne did when the postal scandals
which were not Of his making or
sanction began to develop When the
first rumors Of crookedness began to
fill the newspapers, Mr.. Payne said
they were "hot air." So confident
was Mr.. Wilson of the integrity of
his subordinates that when the cotton
growers complained that the esti-
mates of the crop Of that commodity
was a piece of official scullduggery
he declared it was impossible for
advance information to leak out.
! President Roosevelt promises to
stand by Secretary Wilson to the last
ditch. The President always does stand
by his friends. Secretary Wilson is
his warm personal friend as we'll as
one Of his most earnest and potent
political supporters. But there Is
much talk in Washington which indi.
Gates that Mr. Wilson may ultimately
decide to get out. 1t is no secret that
the department Of agriculture is
loosely managed. That is should be
reorganized is disputed by nobody in
possession Of the facts. Whether Mr..
ilson, who for eight years has ad-
ministered it's affairs will care to do
this is a question. He is now 70 years
old. During the two terms he served
before the third now beginning he
came to be called "the great secretary
OF agriculture. He developed great
strength among the farmers of the
country. If Mr.. Wilson indicates his
desire to step out President Roose.
welt will put N his place some man
with direction to do whatever is nee.
essary to pull the department to-
gether and develop it's full powers Of
usefulness.
Might ,.!ant Governorship.
This possibility Of Mr.. Wilson, not
necessarily before the present investi-
cations are finished. retiring, brings
|up the possibility Of his becoming a
candidate for governor of Iowa in
1906. Governor Cummins will then
have served five years. Mr.. Wilson
will then be II years old, but Levi
P. Norton at u was elected governor
of New York and was one of the
best men who ever held that pogt.
Nobody has yet announced Mr.. VIII.
sons prospective candidacy and 1t liz
mot known absolutely that the guber-
material bee is buzzing in his bonnet.
But there are some collateral indica-