Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1905-06-30

ed to the political property room and
for while it was like the big stick
so laid away. But he exegeucies OF
party politics have compelled white
washing to be again rcsorted TO and
as ifto make up for lost time the coat
laid on TO Mr.. Paul Morton; the late
Secretary Of the Navy, is the primer
and m ost artistic job thar has pro-
badly ever been accomplished Ii has
amaz d the nation by the hi asteriul
way in which it was applied, and II
has staggered the old politicians Of
national capital by the sudden change
from the hue Of the Ethiopion to the
vivid whiteness OF the vindication
i 1t is seldom that that politic' haro-
meter. the Washington Post, becomes
ratified at any su ldsn change OF the
/ political ten pefaiure. but even IT'S
general state of contentmt mt and song
froidewas overcome for Ill its con :
meut on this latest strenuous job Of
President Roosevelt 1t said:
"A fact that stands out IN terriiy-
/ ing sharpness in tn corresponds te
of the President and Attorney GvueI-
al Moody esardiBg Mr.. Paul Motion
and the Santa Fe rebate scandal /.
that the Santa Fe is a corporation OF
uucontrollably evil propensiiies Old
blooded. calculating. PERSISTENT viola
tor OF the law. On the other hand, the
officers CT The Santa Fe are not only
observers OF the law, but one of them
Mr. Morton, is the champion who
made it possible to secure an injunc
ton against the monster Tie officers
Of the Santa Fe have done the best
they could to curb the lAwessness of
this corporation, but 1t plunged
wildly on, while they STOOD power
less and aghast. They are no more to
be blamed, says Mr.. Morton, than
il it were a case of misplaced switch
resulting in bad wreck. They did
their duty, and if there was violation
Of law nobody is to blame. "All of
our orders were carefully considered
and carefully issued; he says, but so
far as this particular case is concern
ed, seem to have been overlooked.
when Attorney General Moody
went outside Of his department to Sc
cure the service OF two eminent law
yers for the investiga ion OF the Santa
Fe scandal, it wa; a commentary on the
evident scarcity of good material in
the Department OF J:stice for such
work But the bold almost bold
official statement that these ALE
gentlemen had been instructed to
probe the matter to the bottom " as an
assurance that the task was a grave
one, too difficult for the regular Off
Ger, of the Department OF Justice. 1t
was rlso taken to mean that the in
vestigation would be made without
the possibility Of whitewash, VIII oh |
IN light have been h case if subordi- |
nate officials were to investigate a |
scandal Involving a member cf the !
Cabinet.
"Messrs, Harmon and JuiSon did |
their work thoroughly--to1 thoroue h |
ly by far. They appear to have taken
their instructions too literally. They
made the mistake too, of confound-
ing the Santa Fe as a corporate II
with the Santa Fe officers Obvions-
ly they had no idea that thu Santa + g
had burst from the control OF its Off |
GERS, and was dashing headlong or
its ownpathway. We have no doub.. |
they reported, that the laws have been
by the traffic officers of the
Atchison, Topeka and SAINT Fe Rail.
road Company, and they recommend
promp proceedings against them. OF |
course, the investigators were set
right by Attorney General Moody and |
their report being palpably disap-
pointing, their resig nations were &C
cepted.
1t is difficult to tear a monster
away from its feast. but Mr.. Morton
must learn to rule, even il he is forced
II ween his company from good
thing. 1t is to be hoped that he will
be successful in eventing a mu tiny
among his subordinates in the Equit-
bic, such as HAT which made the
Sa nta Fe 80 unconti ollable.
LAS for the Santa Fe, it is a bad,
wicked. diabolical corporation, which
must be hanted down and punish
ed at all hazards. On with the
good work"