The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-10-23

Hughes al 10 fut bllbs anu WI NT'
you on Stand In the Recent lns1r.
anoe investigation.
Lincoln Neb.. oct. - william j
Bryan's Commoncr comments ON the
New York gubcrnatorial campaign IN
the following words
The gubernatoral contest in Now
York is attracting attention in all part
of the world. Mr. Hearst is being bit
terly opposed 10y representatives OF
great corporations and by editors of ri
val newspapers
THE history of the present campaign
In the state &c New York does not hc
Gin with the nominating conventions OF
the Democratic and Republican parties
OF that state II really begins with Il
letter issued by Alton h. Parker. Dem
ocratic candidate for the presidency
early In the national campaign OF 1904
In that letter Judge Parker charged
that the Republican campaign mnna
gers had solicited contributions from
the great trusts and combines. ana the
charge was instantly met by President
Roosevelt, who In heated language de
clarcd II 10 De false and malicious
President Roosevelt challenged proof
that such contributions had been sole
tied
Then came the famous Armstrong
commlttce Investigation into the inSur
ance scandals. and here il was TINT
Charles + Hughes. Republican cnndi
date for governor Of New York. made
his appearance I'm the field Mr. Hughes
was engaged 10 take charge of the in
veStlgatlon During the progress of
that investigation officials OF the usur
ancc companies went upon the witness
stand md calmly admitted that In
1896. 1900 aud 1901 they had contrib
uted largely to the Republican national
campaign funds
Admissions Aroused Nation"
These admissions aroused national
interest. and the people were on the
tiptoe of expectancy. waiting for
George p. Cortclyou and Cornelius
Bliss 70 be called upon the witness
stand II was most interesting SitUa
ton. but. like all other investigations
conducted under similar conditions. this
one stopped Just short Of It's most in-
tercstinc and valuable developments
"Alcssrs. Cortelyou and Bliss were
not put upon the witness stand Like
the famous king Of France who march
cd 10000 mon to the top of the bill
and marched them down again. MIR
Hughes had taken the investigation ny
10 a point where II promised something
tangible in the why Of revelations and
then gently and quietly backed down
1T WIS about this time President
Roosevelt made his famous muck
rake speech by a peculiar coinci.
dcncc. tho gentle suhsid"ncc of the In.
vcstigntion began coincilcnt with the
fact that il WIS Mp 70 Mr. Hughes To
put Chairman Cortclyon ana Treasurer
Bliss upon the stand
"The investigation came to sudden
and untmcly end in so far as real re
suits were concerned a few Of the
minor grnftc"s and beachciaries OF
graft were mildly rcprimanded.
"A few months Inter the newspaper
dispatches credited President Roosc-
volt with lntlmating that Charles +.
Hughes was the man who should be
nominated hy the Republicans for gov
ernor Of Now York. Who is Charles
+. Hughes With one accord the adj
minlstration press acclaim, He is the
man who prohcd the insurance scan
dals TO the bottom
"Drew Probe Out Too Soon"
"Rut the answer is incorrect. He
inserted his probe only deep enough
10 make the Republican party man
ayers vince. and then, needing n
broad lntimation that it was time to
quit. ne withdrew the probe. And then
ne was nominated for governor by the
men who WINGED when he sank the
probe part way into the insurance
mess.
"Why did Mr.. Hughes fail to put
CortelyOu and Bliss on the stand? How
did it happen that the president made
his muck rake speech Mt the very mo
ment when Cortclyou and Bliss should
have been summOncdf Why was the
investigation practically dropped after
the presidents muck rake speech ?
And how can the nomination Of Mr..
Hughes, made In the face Of these cir
cumstances, be explained?
THE voters of the state Of New York
I'm particular and the voters of the re
public in general are entitled to hedi
frank answers to these questions
rcccY EApM PpINcc T1c mn