The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-21
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.


that the horses have been stolen.
In other words, after stOutly deny
ing for years that there was any
possibility of leak in the Bureau
of Statistics, the Secretary and
Chief Statistician Hyde have dis
covered numerous ways in which
the spectators may be given adj
vance information of the official
crop reports and the Secretary has
devised a supposed method ofpre-
venting further leaks but one which
would occasion amusement, if it
did not call louder for pity, from
every practical businessman. The
Secretary attempts TO exercise
personal supervision over the crop
reporting to an extent which shall
make leaks impossible and promi-
ses to himself stand over his guile
less statiStician while the final es-
Inmates are being prepared. OF
course this scheme will not prove
practicable. The Secretary of
Agriculture is too busy a man to
devote himself to the petty de
tails of his department. and es
pecially the details of a single
bureau. Even since the rascality
of Holmes and the incompetence
of Hyde have been demonstrated
the Secretary on the one occasion
when it becomes necessary to Ia bu-
late the totals of a crop estimate,
found himself too busy to super
wise the work aud had to delegate
its supervision to the Assistant
Secretary who looked on hopeless
ly, not understanding the least
thing that was going on around
him and as liable to be made the
prey of any designing and dis
honest employee as has been Chief
Statistician Hyde, perhaps more
so.
Secretary Wilson, whose honesty
no one can possibly question,
seems utterly to lack appreciation
of the gravity of the scandal which
has arisen in his department. He
has taken no steps to dismiss, or
even to suspend John Hyde. while
Hyde's Bureau is being investi.
gated. He has even appointed as
successor TO Holmes a man who,
the recent investigation demon
strated, left his Office on two diff
ferent occasions when final crop
reports were being compiled aud
went directly to a brokers' office.
This man claims that he went to
the broker to ascertain the quota
tions on steel stock of which he
owned a block but there are few
successful businessmen who would
employ in capacity of so respOn-
sible a character as that held by
Holmes, and now by his successor,
a man who would dabbIe in stocks
aud even leave his office at time
when he must have been in pos
session of information of great
value from speculative stand
point TO go to brokers' office. A
man with so little sense as to in-
cur such appearance of evil, if not
honest must be too senseless to be
trusted.
The President has caused re-
port to be sent out from Oyster
Bay to the effect that he has no
intention of asking for the resig-
nation of Secretary Wilson and
adding that Mr.. Wilson's only
fault is that of possessing too con-
fding a nature. Mr. Wilson, &C
cOrding to the President, is so
honest that he is unwilling to be.
lieve any of his employees dis
honest. The late Postmaster
General, Henry G. Payne, was of
a somewhat similar nature and he
stood by the "Prince of Grafters,"
Machen, and by Machen's partner
in crime, Beavers, aud talked of
the charges against these thiev-
ing employees as shot air" until
his course became intolerable to
the administration aud only the
political exigencies of the Re
publican party saved him from !
dismissal.
Will the President have the
force of character to insist on the !
sort of railway rate legislation
which he outlined in his message !
to the last session of the last Con-
gress in the face of the almost |
unanimous opposition of the lead
ers of his psrtye This is ques-
ton which every true friend of |
the people is asking with more or
less anxiety. The question is pre-
cipitated just now by the contiden-
tial statement sent to the railroad !
managers by their subsidized |
press bureau to the effect that the |
President has seen the error of
his way and will make only half
hearted appeal for the railway
rate legislation, next session and
will make nothing but the pre-.
tence of a fight for what he has
hitherto described as essential
RI a cono-o laal 70 oravr A r,a.s