Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-19

wrong with the man. His strongest mo-
ments, apparently, are when he IS breaking
down, or trying to break down, something
which he opposes. If he has built up, in
any instance, something better instead.
your correspondent cannot at the moment
call the instance to mind In addition TO
that, committee men he l., If not an
absolute failure, far from a success. Ii IS
common talk that ne has ''balled up" the
committee on executive nominations into
frghtful shape.
There is announced g meeting of this
committee, and when the members assem-
BILE it is said that no chairman appears,
and that the nominations are all locked
up in that officials desk. Only Friday an
order providing for a stenographer for the
convenience OF the committee executive
nominal tons was put through the senate,
because, at least SO the senators said in
conversation, Lee had gotten the recess
appointments and the regular appointments,
as well as the other work of this commit
tee, into such snarl that some one is alb
solutely necessary to straighten him out.
In the memory of your correspondent there
Is no precedent for this appointment of
clerk to the committee on executive nomi-
ma tons. This committee was never before
considered one so burdened with work s
to necessitate outside help. Therefore there
is a genuine objection on the part of many
people to seeing Mr.. Lee elected to the
head of an all-important special commit
tee. With ex-Mayor Hayes and Isaac Lobe
Straus on the council board 1t is true that
the chairman would have to be heavy
drag indeed to prevent this committee ac-
complshing very material results. Still
there Is no denying the bad policy of max
ing man the head of a momentously i'm
portant committee who has failed signally
as the guiding spirit in an ordinary COM
mittee, not even of first magnitude.
Young Germans Abilities.
Whatever may be said OF young German.
and he is difficult man to estimate accu-
rately, there is no denying the fact that he
attends to his committee duties, and that
as chairman of the most important COM
mittee In the senate he has measured far
higher up, and has better qualified for the
place which he wants, than the man who
opposes him. In addition to that it was
German, his motives whatever they may
have been. who brought this entire matter
to public attention after its long sleep, and
to him on that account if on no other, be-
longs some consideration.
There is very strong impression preva-
lent here that this committee cannot do its
work in thirty days, and that 1t will not be
able to make anything like the report which
IT ought TO make and which its members
will most earnestly desire to make by the
18th of March. The political danger of this
committee has almost If not entirely been
withdrawn by its makeup, and it is prob
able that longer life will not be denied II,
If 1t seeks longer life at the time of it's re-
port, on this account. Rather Is il prob
able that its scope will be materially ex
tended and its energies directed upon all
corporations doing business in this state,
and whose doings In the past are still COM
mon talk. The gas company, under skllful
handling. might be compelled to divulge
some very interesting facts. Under what
head and by what authority the enormous
sums which this corporation is actually
known to have spent down here in years
past might be worth knowing. The United
Railways might tell, to an extremely inter-
ested audience, under just what head of ex-
penditures 1t put down the sums which 1T
spent to defeat, as 1t did defeat for years
the storm vestibule bill, the six-for-a-quar-
ter bill and other measures proposed, and
some of which, like this last, are still not
laws. These facts are all worth knowing
and may profit the state as well as indi-
viduals and individual stockholders. The
right of directors to expend corporation
moneys In this manner is decidedly in ques-
ton.
That something of this sort may be an
ticipated has been abundantly proved dur
ing the last three four days. In private
conversation, members of the then proposed
committee have expressed their opinion to
this effect, and the floor of the senate
Thursday afternoon. DR.. France of Cecil
made determined fight to have added to
the joint resolution an amendment to pro-
vide specifically for the investigation of the
means by which the Baltimore ana Ohio
railroad succeeded In effecting the compro-
mise of 1878 and the other injurious things
which were done at that time, TO the beneilt
of this corporation.
It is generally felt that the committee, as
II IL made IT'D, Will be entirely honest Not
all OF its members are believed to be SIN
cere, but its balance will be honest and its