Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-10
Dangerous Secrecy.

Most timely is the illustration afforded by
the cotton scandal Developments of the I'M
wisdom and the danger of conducting gov
ernmeutal inquiries strictly In secret In all
cases involving moral turpitude or possible
criminality on the part of individuals III
the lesson taught by the disclaimers ana
libel threats of Theodore Price. the New
York cotton broker. is needed by the COM
mittee now examining into the printing
office contracts the doors will be at once
thrown open SO that the public Will De
given a full opportunity to observe the pro-
ceedings.
The case of Mr.. Price is peculiarly vaiu-
able In this connection. An officer OF the
government was accused of furnishing IN
formation secretly to brokers In cotton en-
abling them TO play the market to advan-
tage The inquiry into his connection with
the cotton market was paced in the hanus
of the secret service bureau of the treas
ury An agent of that bureau traverseu
the ground and hunted up evidence tending
to disclose the improper relationship Ac-
cording to the chief prosecutor in the case
the name of Mr.. Price was not at any stage
of the actual investigation brought into the
affair. He was not accused. was not called
as a witness. Yet the official report brands
Tupted the government official. or at least
one of those who profited by that officials
Improper conduct.
In effect this is a contravention of the
constitutional prerogative of the citizen to
enjoy due process OF law before he is
deprived Of his life. his liberty or his prop
erty One of the most valued of a man
properties Is his good name. and one OF
the most essential features of a due pro-
cess of law is the right of the witness TO
be present during his accusation and trial.
or his representation before the trial body.
There is only the slightest technical like
ness between these government inquiries
and the grand jury. and there Is in prac-
ttce no ground for granting to the admin
istrative inquisition the same power of Sc
crecy that is enjoyed by the first stage OF
the criminal accusation process. For the
Indictment of a man by a grand jury leaves
him the right to be heard formally in court.
surrounded by every safeguard TO ensure
fair trial. while, as in this cotton scandal
report a man may be proclaimed before
the world having engaged In a nefa-
rious traffic without even enjoying the
privilege of court hearing unless he takes
the initiative and irvokes the libel law.
Mr. Price was not represented before the
investigators Neither are the men who are
being in effect accused before the printing
Office inquisitors OF engaging IN corrupt re-
lations with certain printing machine cor
poration. Yet In the printing office inquiry
the rival corporations are granted the privi-
Iege Of representation. in the person of off,
Gals and counsel. at the sessions of the
committee at which testimony Is taken.
1t is impossible to square these cases with
one another. or to square the whole process
OF secret investigation with the proclaimed
policy OF this administration in favor of
publicity in all dealings with the corpora
lions Is there to be one rule of secrecy
for dealing with individuals and another
rule of semi-pubhcity. amounting to a pc
cuIiarly offensive style of secrecy. for deal
Ing with business organizations?