The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-06-14
FRAUD FOUND.
Charged That Government Re-
ports Were Doctored.
20 b. INVESTIG ATFD.

Ridiculous. Secretary Cheatham,
OF the Southern Cotton Associ-
alton, Says He Has Docu.
mentary Evidence.
A dispatch from New York to the
Atlanta Journal says Richard Cheat.
ham, OF Atlanta, secretary OF the
Southern Cotton Growers association,
who is in this city, has declared his
intention OF calling President r ose.
velU's attention to what he considers
gross Irregularities in both the pre-
paration and the publication OF the
government cotton report Issued last
Friday week.
Mr.. Cheatham will make no charge
OF bribery or any other crime, but lis
intention is to ask fo1 rigid investi-
CATION, and that the resignation OF
one OF the important employees in the
statistical bureau Of the department.
OF agriculture be demanded.
It Is understood that be charges
some one in the department. with
having manipulated the figures and
given them in advance Of publication
to certain brokers for use in depress-
ing the cotton market.
The Southern Cotton Growers as
scciation IS an organization OF planters
and southern brokers, whose object it
is to regulate, so far as possible, the
acreage OF cotton and 20 p-otect the
planters and other southern interests
fron manipulation OF tie market
tending tc depress the price OF the
staple. Officers Of the association,
declare they have as many experts as
the department. OF agriculture, and
nake every effort to secure the most
trustworthy information regarding
the crop condition. For several mon hs
the statistics gathered by the associa-
ton have been al variance with those
enanatirg from Washington, and tie
cfhcers Of the association together
8ith brokers and cotton merchants in
This city have conducted secret in-
vestieation in the hope OF ascertain
ing the reasons for the discrepancy.
A prominent broker, it is now as
serted, has gathered the mCs5 impor
tant OF documentary evidence in rh
case. From employees Of the depart
ment Of agriculture, he says, some OF
~hom are in the habit Of making
fre queno visits to this city, be learned
thai advance information in regard to
tie reports could be secuEed BE fol-
loved up this Inquiry, inquirirg
whether or not the report las not
been chang I'D, and alleges he was sue
cessful in Ibis enGe>vor, also receiving
letters frcm at least one OF Tie: prom
inent t,r1S OF cotton brckers in thi<
city had such an understanding with
at least one officer.
Mr. Cheatham was notified OF the
alleged discoveries by telegraph and
made a hurried trip 70 this city.
After many hours spent in con ,ulta
tion, be journayed to Washington,
remained a few hours aud returned to
NV York, saying he desired sigma
cures to a document in his poAses
SIGN. 1t is said Mr.. Cneath:m will
.harge that the figures OF the bureau
of statistics have bsen manipulated
in the interests OF csrtain oearish
element in tha market here, and rais
charge will ircl1de not only the fur
o shiniug tf advance information
pertaining to tie government figures,
but also falls fcation Of these figures.
In the case Of the report issued last
Friday he will charge that plans were
laid month in advance.
WHO THE OFFICER IS.
Edward S. Holmes, Jr., is the name
of the government official that will be
reported to President Roosevelt, b.
Richard Cheatham, secretary Of the
S .uthern Cotton Growers Association.
Secretary Ckeatham it Is stated on
excellent authority, will tell Presi-
d.n6 Roosevelt that not only was
advance i1formaaio concerning the
g2vernment report on cotton acreage
and condition given out to bear oper'
ators in New York, but that the
hsurss OF the report we're deliberately
manipulated 50 as to favn, the market
operations Of the prominent specula
tive interest involved, by influencing
a lower market valuation for cotton
than is warranted by the actual con
ditiCn OF the growing crop.
1t is further charged that plan:
were laid practically month in ad
vance to secure in this instance
beariSh report, and that the ottlcia
accused: pro6ting by the advantage!
OF his position, perfected arrange
nents by which such result might b:
obtained. Secretary Cheatham hs!
in his possession, 1t is said, numerou:
signed documents showing conclusive
ly that the figures Of the government
bureau ca the cotton acreage and con
dition have been manipulated IN tht
interests OF 3! certain bearish interes
in the market.
SAYS CHARGES ARE RIDICULOUS.
:, dispatch from Washington say
Secretary Wilsan, at the conclusion Z
the cabinet meeting said bis attention
had been called to the charges Of tn
Southern Cotton association that ther
had been "leak' in the information
gathered by the agricultural depart
ment in regard to the cotton crop. 81
charac| erized the charges as ridicu
lcus. It was possible, he said, tina
somebody connected with the depart
ment had been pretending to hav
knowledge OF the cotton figures de
partnent, but as matter of fact