Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-27
Another Outrage.

"A IL determined to aggravate the al
ready strong public sentiment against M
Il r Barnes. whom the President proposes
TO promote from the position of his assist
ant secretary 10 that Of Washington post
,nsstar the Senate committee on post offices
and post roads has not only ignoreu the
charges iled in the case, which accuse MT
Barnes of tactlessuess and brutality oy
proxy in the eiectment of Mrs. Norris but
II has emphasized the complaint formally
fled by him that Mrs Morris is insane
This is pling injury upon injury. Barnes Is
acquitted without hearing the testimony
which is offered to prove him guilty Mrs.
Morris is in effect condemned without giving
her the slightest opportunity TO defend her
self
II. as Mr.. Barnes asserted in his formal
complaint to the police, Mrs. Morris was
elected from the White House because of
an unbalanced mind. his conduct In the
case was unpardonably wrong. 1t was cal
c,ilated TO precpitate the very calamity
which those who have to deal with the men
tally afflicted always seek to avert. If Mrs.
Morris was in the least degree unsettled In
mind her treatment at the White House was
SUFFICIENT to drive her into positive mania.
But Mr.. Barnes complaint was set aside.
Mrs Morris was examined as to her san
ity by a police surgeon, who pronounced
her sane, and she was promptly discharged
from detention. Nevertheless In the con-
sideration CT the Tillman charges against
Mr.. Barnes the Senate committee admitted
further accusations to the effect that Mrs.
Morris was insane when she called at the
White House, and that she had been previ-
ously treated for that affiiction. This, of
course. was In the line of Justification not
withstsnding the failure of the White
House to follow up and prove its original
assertion. And to augment the injustice of
this monstrous line OF treatment the com
mittee. In laying before the Senate state
ments embracing this alleged demonstration
OF Mrs. Morris mental condition, refused
to submit well the emphatic and COM
plete denial which was promptly filed TO
meet the charge.
Thus the committee presents the case to
the Senate In worse shape for Mr.. Barnes
than when il took up tho nomination for
consideration. BY it's reflections upon Mrs.
Morris II heightens the gravity Of Mr..
Barnes conduct at the White House 1t
suggests his lack of Judgment, of tact and
of common sense in dealing with difficult
callers. 1t paints him as incompetent as
well as brutally lnconsiderate of a woman's
Grains 70 decent treatment. incidentally,
as the record stands. it piIlories Mrs. Morris
again as mentally afflicted. refusing her the
opportunity TO meet the charge before the
full Senate
This outrageous method of dealing with
individuals should be sharply repudiated by
the Senate when II calls up Mr.. Barnes
case next Monday. 1t is to be hoped that
the full record will then be laid before the
senators. the denials which sweep away
the insanity charges and. if possible. the
statements of the eye witnesses to the out
rage whom the committee has refused to
summon to testify. 1t is due to Mrs. Nor
ris. thus sacrificed in an illogical. wicked
attempt to whtewaSh Mr. Barnes, that
these witnesses now come forward ard
demonstrate what is believed to be the
truth. that Mrs. Morris was not violent in
her conduct on the occasion of her call until
she was seized by policemen at the COM
mand of Mr.. Barnes and dragged out like
some drunken drab and hustled to the
Police Court
This is truly a lamentable affair. in its
first and its last aspects. The list of de-
PENDANTS Increases with each development.
Now, standing alongside of Mr. Barnes and
Mrs. Morris are the majority members of
the Senate committee, who have placed
themselves in the position of denying to an
American woman the right and the oppor-
tunity to defend her reputation and her
reason thus publicly assailed.