Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
FOR USE OF THE SENATE
Violated the Much-vaunted Square
Deal Platform.
CARRIES THE MUcK-RAKE IDEA
Senator Culberson, in His Minority
Report, Expresses the Case in a
Nutshell.


ment turns into digust as the contents OF
the remarkable document printed and is
sued for the confidential use of the Senate
by the committee post Offices and post
roads on the Barnes nomination becomes
known. 1t Is hard to conceive of any pro-
duction violating % completely the much
vauntcd administration square-deal plat
form and SO fully carrying out the muck
rake Idea. Statements are made as facts
which are absolutely denied by reputable
witnesses, who could easily have been Sc
cured for testimony, and the whole docu-
ment is fairly sprinkled with innuendos
pointing to the charge that Mrs. Morris was
of unsound mind. OF the six newspaper
men who were witnesses of the incident at
the White House, statement Is printed
from only one-the other five whose testi-
nony 1t is to be presumed was not in ac-
cord with the official version, are entirely
ignored. A long letter is printed from Mr..
Barnes to the committee, the significant
points in which are his entire evasion OF
the questions of whether not coIored
employe aided in carrying Mrs. Morris and
as to who directed the charge of insanity
| to be placed against her. Statements from
dozen policemen ushers and secret serv-
ice men are given and several letters from
Major Sylvester, chief of police, are remark
able in disclosing that the head of the local
police force, by the direction of the White
Hous,, officials, was engaged for consider
able period in undertaking investigation
of Mrs Morris history. and character
Maj. sylvester's Letter.
Mrs. Morris was not on trial. and yet this
| is the kind of thing that the District of Co
lumbia police force was engaged In last
January as disclosed by Sylvester's letter
to Secretary Loeb. in which he says Il
have your reference of the 18th instant re-
specting inquiries you desired should be
\ made of certain persons to whom you refer
/ concerning Mrs. Morris, and beg leave to
! respectfully inform you that DR.. J. Wesley
Boyee has for. a number Of years been
Intimately acquainted with Mrs. Norris rel
atives, and he stated that from the history
of her case and judging from reports he
was of the opinion that her mind is not
right, and that he would be pleased to con-
fer with you on the subject if you so desire.
As directed by you, through Assistant
Secretary Barnes, l have written the Hon
Thomas s. Rollins. at Asheville, n. C., in
regard to Information given you concerning
the deposition of the physician in that city
LAS to Mr.. Stokes, that gentleman was
not seen. as was Informed he had made
a statement to you.
Mr.. Jacobs of Woodward & Lothrop's
was not disposed to give written state
| ment with respect to the firms experience
with Mrs Morris, which was her excite
and certain matters in trade.
Mr. Boxer at Kann's, stated there was
nothing in the case there; that there was
nothing to be said.
| Mrs. Dunlap stated that Mrs. Morris up
braided her for having placed her own
name as chairman of the committee on
| letter head and the names OF tne s1et oshes
members of the committee. work whieh
| she had done at personal expense, and that
the experience was very unpleasant.
II inclose herewith report of females
| Ice there since 1903, as requested py you'
Barnes Statement.
| 1t will be noted that no effort was made
| to find out what DR.. Bovee would TESTIFY
| regarding Mrs. Morris, and that the state
ment as printed says that he was only
acquainted with her relatives and that he
was Judging from reports"
| The Asheville White House muck rake
drag resulted In a letter from a DR..
Weaver. who states that about two years
ago Mrs Morris was his patient at Ashe-
| Vile and that he was forced to the con-
| clusion that she was unbalanced mentally" :"
| This statement is printed in the report
| without the slightest reference to the fact,
which was well known to the committee,
| that Mrs Morris declared that she had
never In her life been In Asheville. A fair
sample of the contradiction and evident
| misstatement is shown by the fact that all.
even of the officiai statements, agreed that
1 Mrs. Morris was dragged along the ground
1 from the door of the White House to the
| guard room, yet the evidence of another
| witness is printed who writes that he was
| in the White House at the time. and
| describing the struggle says: Il saw her
/ from near the front door until she passed
| out of sight from the corner of the of1ce.
! During that time she did not cease to
| scream and resist. but she did not fall nor
was she dragged"
The Case in q Nutshell.
Senator Culberson in his minority report
expressed the case In nutshell when he
says: .sThe case of Mr.. Barnes is sup
| ported by unsworn statements of himself.
| the officers who are Jointly charged with
| him with misconduct, and some other par
ties. Some of these statements, however.
are conflicting on material points. and other
testimony would assist In bringing out the
/ true facts In the case. Mr.. Barnes has SO
4 far made no answer whatever to the charge
| that he was instrumental in having Mrs.
Morris held on a charge of insanity.
The Senate Of the United States should
never confirm Mr. Barnes as postmaster OF
| the District of Columbia unless after
fair Investigation it should be found fnat
he did not treat with extreme brutality an
american woman and mother, had not Is
sued e false statement to the people q Ine
country regarding the occurrence and had
i NOT added to the injury by tnstieatng
scheme OF viltfication OF the womans char-
acter beginning with the charge OF IN
sanity and ending with police investiga-
| tions The Senate owes this to the city OF
Washington and to the people OF the coun-
frv iu the interest Of the square deal ana
as q rebuke TO muck rakers.