Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-02
Responsibility and Veracity.

No ingenuity of reasoning avail to
lift the load OF responsibility for the mall
treatment of Mrs. Minor Morris from the
shoulders of Mr.. b. +. Barnes. An effort
appears to have been made In the Senate
behind closed doors to show that such
indignities as she suffered resulted from
her own conduct and that of the police
outside of the White House premises. One
of the administrations witnesses. however.
in his testlmony-printed in the conf.
dental" document submitted by the COM
mittee-delivered himself OF the opinion that
under the police regulations the police had
no discretion in the matter but, having
undertaken to arrest the woman, they were
compelled to carry the arrest into execution
or render themselves liable to prosecution
for assault.
1t matters not which view of the case Is
taken. the responsibility for the affair
comes squarely back to the man who or
dered her to be arrested If. as alleged.
the police have no discretion when once
they are commanded to make an arrest
the burden lays the heavier upon the man
who lifted his hand or voice In summons
TO the police. II he knew that the arrest
must be made at all hazards he assumed
all the risks of the initiative taken by him.
II he did not know this, he was inexcus-
ably ignorant upon one OF the vital points
OF his duty as buffer to the secretary to
the President.
Senator Tillman is willing to accept the
view that the police used unnecessary force
IN enectlng the arrest and proposes an In
Vesugation OF their conduct. In doing go
he does not waive any of his contentious
against Mr.. Barnes, that he acted I'M
properly in ordering the woman dragged
out Of the White House and that he Issued
a false statement to the public regarding
the matters that lay Immediately within
his knowledge inside of the building as
well as concerning what occurred outside.
No amount Of complication over the ques-
ton OF responsibility for the maltreatment
OF the woman and the charge of insanity
laid against her can obscure the fact that
the grave doubt OF MIR. Barnes accuracy
OF explanation has never been removed
He and all the other official witnesses
stated that the woman was violent In her
language and loud In voice before any
threat 10 remove her had been made and
before any hands were laid upon her while
number OF newspaper reporters occupy
ing an adjacent room. with the door open,
heard no word or outcry to suggest excite
ment or confusion until the woman scream
ed as the policeman grappled with her.
Hastening into the main lobby, these men
saw her struggling in the grasp of the
officers.
The Senate committee has ignored this
phase OF the case and also the question,
Did Mr.. Barnes tell the truth3 The CON-
mittee was told that 1t could ascertain
whether or not he had issued a correct
statement by summonlng certain witnesses.
II refused to summon them, ignored the
chance to throw light upon a serious issue
IN the case. and thereupon went into the
Senate with statement that totally passed
over the question of veraclty
An investigation OF the police conduct, as
proposed by Mr., Tillman, will not neces-
sarily be OF an executive character. II
should certainly be ordered. 1t should be
held IN the open II should be broad
enough to ascertain whether the officers
who testified In accordance with Mr..
Barnes prior statement, that Mrs Morris
was violent before they were summoned to
arrest her. did or did not tell the truth.
The witnesses whom the post Office com
mittee ignored are as available to meet this
issue as they were. II properly summoned,
90 meet all the others.