The Washington times., 1905-07-10
| NO RETRACT|ON
TO BROKER PRICE
FROM SECRETARY
Wilson Thinks a Libel
Suit Might Be a Good
Thing.
STANDS BY HIS ACTS
Holmes Helped One Gam
bier to Beat Another in
Stocks, He Says.

| Secretary Wilson stands pat' on the
Secret Service report concerning tho
cotton leak scandal.
He viii not issue any retraction re-
garding Theodore H. Price, the New
York cotton broker, who came to Wash
ington yesterday with his attorney, and
demanded disclaimer from the Secre-
tary, under threat Of institutfng a libel
suit against him IL he did not comply
Il think would rather welcome such
development" said the Secretary, in
his Office today "It might bring OUT
some more facts he added, with q
Twinkle in his eye.
Holmes convicted himself by his let
ters and his statements declared the
Secretary. What he did was to help
one gambler beat another gambler
Having sunmarily dismissed Asso-
ciate Statistician Edwin S. Holmes. jr.,
and having promulgated more intricate
regulations for compiling the cotton sta
tistles IN the future, the Secretary is
resting on his oars for the moment. He
is confident Of his position, yet is ready
10 act If he sees the need for further
probing.
Sure of His Ground.
Commenting on the threatened libel
S04lp 6GC~S(dIy tfliSOn SdlCs
7 am perfectly willing to stand upon
the three actions took off1ciallys First,
putting the whole matter in the hands
of the Secret Service; second, sending
the report to the United States District
Alto 1ney. Mr.. Beach, to see whether
criminal prosecutions could be entered
upon in behalf Of the Government;
third, making public the report, as a
part OF nay official duties as the head
Of this department.
II anyone thinks he has been badly
treated by the disclosures of the report.
he has the way open TO him TO follow
Whatever course he thinks best A libel
suit might be a good thing. perhaps.
think l would rather welcome such a
development Tt might bring out some
more facts But I have no reractiou or
other statement to make
Giving Out the Report.
Regarding the publication OF the entirs
report, the Secretary said:
Having received the report Of the
Secret Service. I determined to make it
public so that the newspapers could
nave the whole thing If they wanted
II, and could see just what action I
had taken. You know If I had merely
announced that the inyestiga ton had
been ended and that Holmes had been
dismissed. there would have been a
great cry about applying the white
wash brush and -smetf.ering things'"
At this point the Secretary's atten-
ton was called to paragraph In q
New York paper, reading: Secretary
Wilson is criticised for making all the
facts in the case public, thus making it
possible for those involved to cover their
f,-cs~ ~lrc, hffi
That is the way continued the Sec
retary. You can't please everybody. Il
had kept the report secret you may
be sure there would have been talk
about .whitewash.'
Holmes Convicted Himself.
When I sent the report 20 Mr. Beach
for his official opinion. had TO depend
Oh his reply for my guidance I am not
a lawyer. My action was taken as the
head of this department and I stand
upon II. The District Attorney knows
what is necessary to make out a case.
What Holmes did in giving out adj
vance information was to help one
gambler beat another gambler. My
Judgment of his acts rests upon his
own letters and his own statements and
they convicted him.
S4OP XACpOi( OOl0S COs
In consequence of the new regulations
put into effect by Secretary Wilson by
his order of Saturday, the monthly re-
Port on general crops. which was to
have been issued today. has been post
poned until tomorrow afternoon at
o'clock
The preparation of this report will be
conducted under the personal super
vision OF Secretary Wilson, behind
locked doors, shaded windows, and
stuffed keyholes
Even the telephones in the Bureau
of Statistics, where the report is figured
up. viii be disconnected while the work
is progressing No one Will be allowed
to enter the room, and no one may leave
it without the permission of Secretary
Wilson himself. and then only for the
most urgent reason.
Chief Statisticlan Hyde viii compute
the final figures, the preliminary tables
being prepared by clerks under him.
Everything will be done under the
watchful eye of Secretary Wilson, and
not until o'clock will the doors be
thrown open
Suspect Wheat Figures.
Narrow avoidance OF a new scandal
has been developed This was in CON-
rection with the crop reports on wheat
and corn, ordinarily due very early in
July. The issuance of this report, due on
>sGly 3. was delayed by the closing OF
the department for the funeral of See
retacy Hay. DHt it is said that the
figures have bee. actually held back for
Yerification.
II VIII be recalled that there wers
charges that The wheat reports have