Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-06-28

Railroad and of Paul Morton, Secretary
of the Navy
The President and Secretary Taft
have finally closed the Bowen-Loomjs
case by the dismissal of Bowen md the
enumeration of LOOMS from all charges
OF dishonesty but with reprimand for
engaging in enterprises with regard to
which he might have to act in a trust
capacity through his Office Of Minister
to Venezuela. Bowen. who appears to
be almost mOnOmaniac on the subject,
has not permitted the case to be entire
ly closed however without firing anoth-
err broadside in which he charges grave
unfairness on the part of the admins
tration and reiterates charges which
were completely disproved by the evil
dence set forth by Secretary Taft.
There is reason to believe that Secre-
tary LOOMS, VINO has preserved his
dignity and a complete silence through
out the proceedings, will be forced to
bring suit against Bowen for libel if he
persists in his course and it is not
impossible that the Secretary will pros
ecute the newspaper which first mace
public Bowen's charges.
The letter of the President in which
he discusses the conduct of Bowen is
entirely characteristic and the term
'scathing" hardly adequately describes
| the severity Of the Presidents criticism
both of Bowen's efforts to discredit
Secretary LOOMS and to evade the re-
sponsibility Of his acts. including the
charges he preferred against the Sec
rotary. Mr.. Bowen's statement that
the so called protocol was drawn up by
the Asphalt Company is authoratively
denied, although it is explained that,
it having been determined by Secretary
Hay and Judge Panfeld, solicitor for
the State Department., that the request
for arbitration could properly be made
to include only the claim Of the Asphalt
Company. John Bassett Moore, coun-
sci for the Asphalt Company, was
| called in and asked to mako any sng-
gestions he thought proper with regard
to the wording of the message
The correspondence with regard to
the Sante Observation-Disclosures I'D 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 Rail
way. resigned because they were not
allowed to prosecute Paul Morton, Sec
retary OF the Navy, as well as the cor
poration itself. The President, however
in several lengthy letters, sevs forth
strong reasons why Mr.. Morton should
not be prosecuted. He admits that Mr..
Morton came frankly and boldly before
the Interstate Commerce Committee
and there gave testimony which proved
of the utmost value to the government
Of putting a stop to the system of grant
ing rebates. The President points out
that that there is not scintilla of evil
dence to show that Mr. Morton was
directly responsible for the granting of
rebates by the Sante Fe aud that, on
the other hand, he evidently did what
he could to prevent such violation of
the law. The President further declares
that he has every confidence in Mr..
Morton and that as the government
has not, in the past, attempted the
prosecution of officials where there ap.
peared to be no evidence against them
individually it must necessarily be
that the demand for the prosecution of
Mr.. Mnrton arises from the fact that
he is now member of the cabinet.
Under date of June 5, Mr.. Harmon
writes to the Attorney General letter
in which he clearly sets forth his
reasons maintaining that suit against
Mr.. Morton should be brought. He
insists that only by holding responsible
all the officials under whose Jurisdiction
violations of the law have occurred can
stop be effectively put to illegal
practices, that he would not accuse Mr..
Morton of completely in the violation
of the law but that he would require