The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-06-30
TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS.
Bowen's S Dismissal and Rail
way Rebate Case.
PRESIDENT DEFENDS MORTON
One Naval Reform-T
Peace Situation.

WEEKLY LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Peace negotiations during the past
week have gwen place to two i'm
portant events of internal Importance
the conclusion Of the investigation Of
the charges preferred by Herbert w.
Koxen, former Minister to Venezuela
against First Assistant Secretary Of
State Loomis, and the Presidents
explanation Of the Governments at
titude with regard to the prosecution
Of the rebate case against the Santc
Fe Railroad and of Paul Morton.
Secretary of the Navy. yN
The President and Secretary Taft
have finally closed the Bowen LOOMS
case by the dismissal OF Bowen and
= the exoneration OF LoomisNN Nfrom all
charge OF dishonesty but with a rep
rimand for engaging in enterprises
with regard to which he might have
10 act 10 a trust capacity through his
Office Of Minister to Nenezuca. Bow
en-, who appears to be almost a mono
maniac on the subject, has not per-
Ihitted the case to be entirely closed
however without firing another broad
side IN which he charges grave un-
fairness on the part Of the admins
tratiun and reiterates charges which
were completely disproved by the
evidence set forth by Secretary Taft.
There is reason to believe that Secre-
cary Loomis, who has preserved his
dignity and complete silence
throughout the proceedings, will be
forced to bring suit against B0wen
for libel II he persists in his course
and it is n 1T impossible that the Sec.
, retary will prosecute the newspaper
which first made public Bowen's
charges. The letter Of the President
in which he discusses the conduct Of
Bowen Is entirely characteristic and
the term "scathipg" hardly adequate
ly describes the severity OF the Presi-
dents criticism both of Bowens
efforts to discredit Secretary Loomis
and to evade the responsibility OF his
ACTS, including the charges he pre-
fefred against the Secretary.
The correspondence with regard to
the Sante Morton n-Harmon-Jud-
son controversy establishes the fact
that Messrs. Harmon and Judson,
who have been retained as special
counsel for the government in the
prosecution OF the rebate case against
the Sante Fe Railway, resigned be-
cause they were not allowed to prose-
cute Paul Morton, Secretary OF the
Navy, as we'll as the corporation it,
self. The President, however in
several lengthy letters, sets forth
strong reasons why Mr.. Morton
should not be prosecuted. lie sub
mits that Mr.. Morton came frankly
and boldly before the Interstate Com.
merce Committee and there gave
testimony which proved OF the ut
most value to the government Ia put
ting stop to the system Of granting
rebates The President points out
that there is not scintilla of cvi
dence to show that Mr.. Morton was
directly responsible for the granting
OF rebates by the Sante Fe and that
on the other hand, he evidently die
what he could to prevent such vio-
latIon Of the law. The Presiden,
further declares that he has every
confidence In Mr.. Morton and thai
;ts the government has not, in tht
past. attempted the prosecution o.
officials where there appeared to b.
no evidence against them individual
ly IT must necessarily be that th'
demand for the prosecution Of Mr.
Morton arises from the fact that h
isnow megnbc. OF tie cabinet.
Uuder date uf June 5, Mr.. Harmon
writes to the Attorney General a let
ter ia which he clearly sets forth hi
reasons maintaining that suit agains
Mr.. Morton should be brought. II
insists that emily bv holding respohsi
BILE all the officials under whose jurs
diction violations OF the law hav
occurred can stop be effectively pu
,o Illegal ptacslcea, that he would re