Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-07-20
INDICATION OF MORTON.
How the RELOCATED Job of White
washing Has Been Re
suscitated.

When the square deal" was ipaugu-
rated it was expected that the white.
wash brush and pail would be ~relegated
to the political property room and for
awhile it was like the big suck so laid
away. But the exigencies of party pol
itics have compelled whitewashing to
be again resorted to and as if to make
up for lost time the coat laid on to MIR.
Paul Morton, the late secretary of the
navy, is the prImest and most artistic
job that has probably eve been accom-
pliShed. Ii has amazed the nation by
the masterful way in which the wash
was applied, and it has staggered the
old politicians of the national capital
by the sudden change from the hue OF
the Ethiopian TO the vivid whiteness OF
the vindication. 1t is seldom that trim
political barometer, the Washington
Post, becomes ratified at any sudden
change of the political temperature, but
even its general state of contentment
and sang froid was overcome, for in its
comment on this latest strenuous joE
of President Roosevelt it said:
"A fact that stands out in terrifying
sharpness in the correspondence of the
president anG Attorney General Moody
regarding Mr.. Paul Morton and the
Santa Fe rebate scandal is that the
Santa Fe is a corporation of u%ncontrol-
ably evil propensities-a cold 5looded
calculating, persistent violator of the
law. On the other hand, the officers
of the Santa Fe are not only observers
OF the law, but one of them, Mr.. Nor
ton, is the champion who made it pos
sible TO secure an injunction against
the monster. The officers of the Santa
Fe have done the best they could tt
curb the lawlessness of their corpora.
ton. but it plunged wildly on, while
they stood powerless and aghast. They
are no more to be blamed, says Mr.
Morton, than if it were a case of 2
misplaced switch resulting in a bad
wreck. They did their duty, and il
there was a violation of law, nobody
is to blame. All of III orders WERE
carefully considered and carefully is
ouOus AO says pulS oo !" ~ NhA~
particular case is concerned, seem il
have been overlooked
When Attorney General Moody
went outside of his department to Sc.
cure the services of two eminent law
yers for the investigation of the Santg
Fe scandal. it was a commentary or
the evident scarcity of good materia,
in the department of justice for such
work. But the bold-almoSt over-bOld
official statement that these able gen.
tlemen had been instructed to proh@
the matter to the bottom vas an assur.
ance that the task was a grave one, too
difficult for the regular officers Of the
department of justice. 1t was also
taken to mean that the investigation
would be made without the possibility
Of a whitewash, which might have beer
the case if subordinate officials were tf
investigate a scandal involving a mem
Der of the cabinet.
'Messrs. Harmon and Judson die
their work thoroughly-too thoroughly
by far. They appear to have taken
their instructions too literally. They
made the mistake, too, of c~onfoundine
the Santa Fe as a corporation with
the Santa Fe officials. Obviously they
had no idea that the Santa Fe had
burst from the control of its officers.
and was dashing headlong on its own
pathway. We have no doubt they re-
ported, that The laws have been vic,
lated by the traffic officers of the Atchi.
son, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad con
pany,' and they recommend prompt
proceedings against them. Of course,
the investigators were set right by
Attorney General Moody. and, their re-
port being palpably disappointing.
their designations were accepted.
at is difficult to tear a monster away
from it's feast, but Mr.. Morton must
learn to rule, even if he is forced to
wean his company from a good thing
1t is to be hoped that he will be sue
cessful in preventing a mutiny amons
his subordinates in the Equitable, such
as that which made the Santa Fe un.
comfortable.
'As for the Santa Fe, it is a bad
wicked, diabolical corporation, which
must be hunted down and punished al
all hazards. On with the good work