The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-12
Cotton Leak Mater Goes TO
the Attorney General
WILSON NOW A PEsSIMIST
The MIDDLE In the Agricultural Depart
ment Is Said to Be Deepening and
the President May Yet
Take q Hand.
BY wArrERsoN sTEALEY.


washington. July 11.-(Speciai)-The
scandals of the department of asricui-
ture are now In the hands Of the depart
ment of justice. Secretary Wilson of the
former department today referred all the
papers in the cotton leak to the Attorney
General. This, it is believed. was done
at the suggestion Of the President. who'
1t is said, wanted this action taken De-
fore the Southern Cotton Growers asso-
citation made similar demands.
Announcement Moody is out Of the
oity and Solicitor Henry NJ Hoyt is acting
Attorney-General. From public stand
point 1t would be well II the matter could
rest entirely in his hands. He Is well
qualified In every respect to go into the
law of the case and in addition is an
official who will not fear to prosecute all
who are connected with the scandal. II
Mr.. Hoyt has his way there will be no
whitewash. It is believed here that the
acting Attorney General will find way
to prosecute Holmes, and 1t will not be
surprising If under his supervision other
department officials, confederates OF
Holmes, are uncovered. Few believe that
Holmes could have acted alone In tho
matter.
Affords Sufficient Basis.
The data collected by the secret service
men is believed to afford sufficient basis
for the department of justice to get to
work intelligently. and develop something
out of It, There are several sections OF
the revised statutes under which the
Attorney General may decide to act, and
of these the one which seems to promise
the best chance OF success Is section 5451.
1t provides that anyone who gives or
promises to give money, or any other
thing of value, to any officer or employe
of the government to do, or refrain from
doing, and duty. shall be deemed guilty of
misdemeanor and shall be punished by
fine or imprisonment, or both, in the dis
cretion OF the court.
Another section along these lines Is
No. $40. which reads as follows:
'If two or more persons conspire either
to commit any offense against the United
States or to defraud the United States
in any manner or for any purpose, and
one or more of such parties do any act
to effect the object of conspiracy, all the
parties to such conspiracy shall be liza
BILE to penalty of not less than $1,000 and
not more than $4,000 and to Imprisonment
not more than two years.
The wording of hese sections Is such
that it is believed that prosecution
could be effectively pressed. There is
also a strong belief that if the cotton
+,1r1 In. ~ linn
many additional facts will be brought out
which the secret service agents have un-
covered. but could not substantiate suffi-
GENTLY to declare openly IN their report
to Secretary Wilson.
Secretary Now a Pessimist.
Secretary Wilson. who first laughted at
the charges, is now a pessimist. The ex-
posure of Holmes and his methods and
the revelations in connection with the
presumably infallable system Of making
up the cotton reports having given I'm
such shock that he does not believe in
the infallibility of any system and hard
IL knows where to place his trust. AL
though the first section of the cotton
crop Leak investigation has been complet-
ed and made public. things are still in
sn awful muddle at the department of
agriculture. The Secretary himself, 1t is
said does not know whether there have
OF have not been Irregularities In con-
nection with the preparation and publ
cation of the wheat, corn and tobacco
crop reports. AS matter of fact from
his utterances today it is apparent that
Mr. Wilson believes there have been ir-
regularities In the report on one and
General OverhauIing Is Likely.
From the view point of the present a
general investigation of the bureau Of
statistics of the agricultural department
appears to be the inevitable outcome of
the cotton scandal and the ensuing
charges and counter-charges, denials and
recriminations that are now in the air.
Such an investigation, it is believed in
some quarters, will be ordered by Pres
ident Roosevelt If Secretary Wilson does
not take the initiative very soon. 1t is
certain that the disclosures in regard to
the cotton crop leakage have opened the
eyes of the high officials of the govern
ment including President Roosevelt and
Secretary Wilson, and 1t is certain that
they now realize the probability of ir-
tion with the reports of the other pro-
ducts.
In the event Of general investigation
IL the bureau of statistics 1t has been
suggested that Chief Statistcan Hyde be
relieved during the progress OF the in
quiry. No formal charges have been
made against Mr.. Hyde in connection
with Irregularities either In connection
with the cotton report or the reports on
other products. but nevertheless 1t Is but
natural that in some quarters Mr.. HYDE
should be held responsible in some degree
at least for the various things that went
on under his very nose. Indeed, 1t ap-
pears probable that Mr.. Hyde himself
/ will be the frst to suggest that he be
IN
(contlnued on Seventh Paoe)