Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-02
Cotton Men Demand Radical
Changes In the Department
OF Agriculture
ASSOCIATION MAKE STATEMENT
Say They Will Go to the President
With Their Case and Wilson De-
cIares That He Will Welcome Any
Investigation the President May
Make.

dan and Secretary Cheatham of the
Southern Cotton Association yesterday
made public a statement setting foflh
the demands to be made on congress
to reform statistical work in the de-
partment of agriculture. 1t is charged
that Secretary Wilson is striving to
divert attention from "deficiences" of
the system " to the thieving propensi-
ties of few unworthy officials"
1t is claimed the efforts to prosecute
former members of the department,
even if successful are of secondary inn
portance compared with the reforma-
ton of the system. The so-called re-
formation includes demand for the
resignation of Secretary Wilson.
Mr.. Wilson said he heartily approx
ed of the expressed attitude Of Presi-
dent Jordan of the Association to go
President Roosevelt with his demands.
Il have reported my course to Pres
ident Roosevelt" said Mr.. Wilson, and
have not taken President Jordan
into my confidence President Roose-
welt knows what is going on in the de-
partment; Jordan does not. Yes, hope
Jordan will carry his demands to Oys-
ter Bay"
Demands on Congress.
In the statement demanding the re-
organization of the agricultural de-
partment Jordan and Cheatham de-
mand of congress the following:
81. The establishment within the
department of agriculture of a bu
reau to be known as the cotton bu-
reau, charged especially and solely
with the duty Of reporting upon the
cotton crop and all matters concern
ing that staple.
'2. The appointment as the head of
that bureau, at an adequate salary, of
a man whose reputation and antece-;
dents shall be beyond reproach and
whose familiarity with cotton cultiva-
tion shall be an additional guarantee
of his fitness.
49, An organization of the bureau
so established upon thoroughly scien-
tific lines, such as will insure no posi-
BILE bias in favor or either buyer or
seller or producer or manufacturer can
be presupposed or asserted
"a. The passage of a law that will
be more specific in it's scope and under
which government employees can be
prosecuted for giving away or selling
valuable information, as has been done
in the statistical bureau.
eve have no doubt of the zeal OF,
the officers of the department, but it
seems to be as misdirected in this cris
IS as it was in the antecedent period.
A <Nft
partment, of the lawyers and of every
man of the government seems to be
devoted to the attempt to dragnet a Lot
Of irresponsible spectators.
"Thalt there have been for years
leaks in the department is as we'll
known to the trade as the existence of
the department itself: but these are
insignificant as compared with the
fundamental misnanagement At this
time, however, there is manifest en-
deavor to divert attention from the
radical errors and DEFICIENCIES of the
department itself to the tfMeving pro-
pensities of few, unworthy officials.
Let us not be nnisled by any such mis-
directed energy. Let us reform at the
top and not on the side. Let us root
out the offenders, cleanse the person
mel, change the methods, and renovate
the department from root to branch.
Then the cause Of cotton and good gov
eminent alike will be served in Roose-
veltiam fashion"
The grand jury continued it's inves-
tigaton into the cotton leak case. The
New York witnesses, Messrs. Haas and
Peckham, were again before the grand
Jury and refused to answer any ques-
lions having a tendency to incrimin-
ate them After Messrs. Haas and
Peckham had been released that body
adjourned until Thursday, and the
witnesses were paroled in custody of
their attorney.