Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-18
Mr.. Stone Urges His Resolu-
ton for an Investigation.
HE MAKES NO CHARGES
BASES HIS REMARKS ON PUBLISH
ED STATEMENTS.
Declares His Belief in the Presidents
Honesty, but Regards Him
as Ambitious.

President Pro Tempore Frye of the Senate
today appointed Messrs. Foraker and Cor
man as tellers on the part of the Senate
to count the electoral vote on February y.
A bill authorizing the Secretary of the
Interior to utilize Rhett river and other
navigable streams on the Oregon and Cali
fornia boundary in connection with the arid
land reclamation service was passed
The bill authorizing the county of Sun
flower In Mississippi to construct bridge
across the Sunflower river was also passed.
Mr.. Stone of Missouri was then recognized
to speak on his resolution for directing an
investigation into charges of election FRAUDS.
Mr.. Stones Remarks.
Taking up the charges made during the
late campaign that Mr.. Cortelyou had used
his secret official information as a cabinet
officer to secure contributions. Mr.. Stone
said he could neither affirm nor deny this
terrible Indictment because he did not
know. Il only know" he said, that the
damning admission stands that the trusts
did supply Mr. Cortelyou campaign funds
Moreover. Mr.. Cortelyou has never made
answer to this charge"
He expressed the opinion that the Presi-
dents charges against the democratic cam
paign management should be inquired into
quiry into the campaign of 1896 on the
allegations of Thomas W: Lawson, made
IN recent magazine article. The senator
was himself vice chairman of the demo-
cratic national committee during the cam
paign, but he said that he did not propose
to testify. Many thousand people, he said,
believe that election to have been bought
ana That fact alone would justify an in
quiry.
TT is hard" he added. speaking of Mr..
Lawson, ito believe that a sane man, to
say nothing of his integrity, would deliber-
ately lie without an apparent object to his
own detriment. For the sake of those
whose good names are involved, for the
sake OF the public veal. and for the sake
or truth itself, this story should be sifted."
Mr. Stone also took cognizance of the
his last annual message for the protection
OF the integrity of elections. saying:
Believes the President Honest.
What the President asserts Is true. and
what he counsels is wise, but am surpris-
ed that he should, so soon after the cleo
ton, denounce this particular crime in Ian
guage so explicit and defiant If Judge
Parker spoke truly. then the President him
self is the conscio-beneficiary of the very
crime he condemns. The Presidents in
trepldity puzzles me to determine whether
he was in fact advised. and to what extent
advised, as to the immoral means EMPLOYED
to promote his election. 1 would prefer to
believe that the President is ignorant of
many things done for his profiting. Theo-
dore Roosevelt is instinctively an honest
man. But he is also inordinately ambi-
tious, and 1 have thought that ambition
had so blurred his native honesty as to
blind him momentarily, and to make him
do things or suffer things to be done, that
would otherwise have been repulsive.
prefer to believe the best of him, and, all
things considered. The best ] can believe is
that the President, being an honest man.
smarting under the sting of remorse, and
being himself no longer interested in cam
paign contributions. has resolved unselfshly
to exert his strength to promote the pub
lie welfare in this behalf"
The Presidents Reply.
Mr.. Stone was not Interrupted while he
spoke. but when he closed Mr. Hansbrough
reply made by the President to Judge
Parkers charges last November.
The resolution was. alloyed to lie on the
table and the consideration OF the calendar
was proceeded WITH -, -
When the statehood bill came I'D Mr..
Berry offered an amendment permitting
the annexation of West Fort Smith, now in
Indian territory. to Arkansas. 4. .zp ~
That" said Mr.. Spooner. sis an instance
in which the senator from Arkansas faVors
expansion" and Mr. Berry admitted tina
such was the case. ,-,,-,.. - p -
Mr.. Clay spoke In opposition to the bill
He went into the details of the division Of
New Mexico when the territory OF Arizona
was created, saying that the division was
made because of the unwieldy size of the
territory and contending that If the area
embraced is too extensive for one terri
tory it is too large for one state. He said
the two territories cover an area larger
than half of Europe Mr.. Clay said he had
no objection to the consolidation of Okla
homa and Indian territory