New-York tribune., 1905-06-21
THE 1oonIsBoWBN CASE.

Tho ending of the Loomis- Bowen controVeisS
has been reached with promptheSs "ii0
cision. The outcome is painful from Solne Po-
sonaI points of view, and SrateFul lroiA o'lel ;.
what is more important is that it will conIlle1iu
itself TO the nation as just, and also as ii0i. -
ING that the whole case was less seIiou0
some had feared. The charges mace asains'
the Assistant Secretary OF State were 80
odIv crave. Had they been substanuated they
80 .,s ho,o amounted to nothing less than
nnbI,c scandal But they have not been SUI
s.o,+iahad There can be no doubt that Ihey
have been investigated Thoroughly ana lihp'i
HalIv and that the findings upon them are III
occord with the fullest obtainable lnforlha ti"ii
snd are inspired with sense OF uIS"ei y, ins -
Justice OF that the fact that Secrelal9 80,
Conducted the case is abundant guarantee ine
nation will accept his judgment as uhhesIt@I ~,I
InqIv as the President has done Inc result
that the grave charges Of corruption are US
,,issed as unproved and as unworthy Of further
consideration, will cause niue SUI
much qualification, not only to the official whose
t,+ooritv is thus vindicated but also to the gov
ornnoant and the whole American people.
The scope Of Secretary Tafts inquiry was
confined to the charges against Mr.. Looms, ana
the findings have, accordingly, the same hlilil,
II was inevitable, however, that the cohuuct VI
Mr.. Bowen In making the charges, or IN l,iaAlns
them in the way he did, should be consloereu'
for Mr.. Loomis had met them not only Win
denial of their truth but also with the counter
charges of INSTRUMENTATION and OF the puohsn-
ing of statements which, If made at ALL snoulu
boya bsen made under the strictest seal OF Of
fetal privacy It was thus apparent from the
beginning that, however the case might be de
cided. the public usefulness Of one of the parues
~ n WAS at an end Had Mr.. Loomis been
nroved guilty his immediate retirement from
fhe service would have been necessary; tnough
even then, as the President vigorously declares
Mr.. Bowen's conduct and manner IN making lne
charges would have been most reprehenslDie
But Mr.. Loomis was not proved guilty he
was completely exonerated from the charges oh
corruption Mr.. Bowen was therefore Iert III
the melancholy plight Of having made scandal-
GUS charges in q scandalous way, and OF having
been unable to substantiate them. In such cir
c,,rnstances his retirement from the service
was inevitable Still stouty insisting upon the
correctness of his conduct he refused to imply
confession of impropriety by resigning- Ihere
was then left TO the President nothing but the
alternative of ordering his dismissal
The Justice Of this decree must be recognized.
According TO the findings Of Secretary Taft, as
clearly recapitulated by the President Mr..
Bowen displayed a singular misconcepdon OF
official duty and an inexcusable disregard OF
diplomatic proprfety-ind1caung MS unnLneSs IoF
further employment by the government Nor
can it be overlooked that Mr.. Loon1is, while abb
soluteIy cleared of charges of dishonesty, does
not escape censure for indiscretion. Cruel and
reckless as the charges were, the President and
Secretary Taft agree that he was fndiscreet in
placing himself. however innocently, in posi-
ton which might seem to lend color to what
ever attacks an enemy might make upon him.
To paraphrase the closing sentences of Secre-
tary Taft's report, it is sincerely to be hoped
that the bitter experience Of both the parties to
this unhappy controversy will make it unneces-
sary further to point the moral of the case