Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-14
PRESIDENT EXAMPLE
Senators and Representatives
Merely Following 1t
IN BEING INDEPENDENT
Will Investigate the Panama Canal
Affairs.
FULL PUBLICITY ADVOCATED
It is Not Believed Pressure Will Be
Brought on the House
Insurgents.
FULL PUBLICITY ADVOCATED

1.-THE President of the United States has
set the example of demanding the most
careful investigation Of the work Of every
official. of insisting on the most rigid ex-
animation of their acts, and the Senate be-
lieves it ought to follow his illustrious ex-
ample" said a noted republican senator to-
day. consequently we propose to make
most searching examination and inquiry
into the affairs of the Panama canal and
Of the acts Of Secretary Taft, in the orders
that have been given We have informed
the President that we believe this Is best
for Secretary Taft and all around. The
President has set a pace to all the country
for holding officials squarely up to their
duty in every respect, and in demanding
that the light be turned on anybody and
everybody. that is commendable. We are
glad to follow In his footsteps and the
senator smiled he walked away.
Yet all Washington knows that If the
Senate makes an investigation that brings
out unfavorable results criticism of the
President will follow Yet the Senate be-
lives 1t is following in the footsteps of the
President himself and putting into effect
one of the great principles of his career
that no public man should object to having
the light turned on
President Can Have No Objection.
Yes" said a republican representative to
a. group of newspaper men, "the President
can have no possible objection to the in
sistent demand of the newspaper corre-
spondents and their newspapers that they
be not hampered in the gathering of infor-
nation relating to public officials and to
public acts. He cannot object to their re-
monstratng against a tendency to have
the giving out of news centralized at the
White House Do you remember that in
most of his messages to Congress the Presi-
iar1t haS inCi ad on IF
for the trusts and corporations? He has
announced his belief that publicity is the
best and only method of holding the trusts
down. In fact, that the public is entitled
doing. Therefore the President can have
no objection to publicity, and plenty Of 1t,
as to what the administration is doing.
There must be some mistake in the idea
that cabinet officers have been prevented
from giving out news of Cabinet sessions
or of their departments and that the under
standing has been that the President would
have news given out from the White House
as he thought it should go. The President
is himself the foremost believer in pub
Ecity, and l am sure he has nothing that
he objects to the newspaper men getting
And there was a look of deep interest In
the faces of the listeners as the Congress
man concluded his remarks.
An Insurgents View.
'I am panied to see this pulling of heavy
back into line said one of the House insur-
gents when spoken to about his attitude of
opposition to the administration plan of a
Philippine tariff and statehood bill. '"They
may talk to as much as they please he
went on, but / do not believe the Presi-
dent can seriously object to our acting in
dependently and as we think is best for the
party. Isn't he the most illustrious exam
pie Of independence We have in the coun-
try? Hasn't he deeply inculcated the spirit
of turning over the bosses and of acting as
every man thinks best? Hasn't he fur
thered the idea of high regard for manly,
personal independence and relegation of
party ties to the rear? Hasn't he given his
help to the knocking out of party bosses in
New York, Philadelphia, Ohio, Cincinnati
and many other points? Consequently, he
must look upon us as acting as we believe
to be right. Now, from Pennsylvania,
where bosses are no longer tolerated, but
where the people rule. I believe the people
of my district will uphold me In my atti-
tude."
And the representative seemed to feel
confident the President would not try to
apply punishment to those men who acted
as they deemed best.
Altogether there is a deep conviction on
the part of Congress and the newspaper
fraternity that the President has been right
in the ideas he has promulgated among the
people, and that all factions will join in
making use of the Presidents platform in