The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-06-13
INDICTED men,
LONG SECURE,
MUST ANSWER
DuS st Covered Docu-
mentS Dragged to Light
by Secretary Garfield.
Cases to Be Pressed and
Reasons Demanded
for Neglect.

Ever been indicted in the Federal
court?
Has Uncle Sam an ancient claim
against you or a suit pending in any
court that has been lying from one to
twenty years because nobody was con-
cerned about pressing II, or because you
had pull on the District Attorney and
induced him 70 forget to press matters?
Well, If so, you should get ready for
trouble. The Interior Department and
the Department OF Justice are getting
their heads together with the purpose
OF going over ali the dockets. into al
the pigeonholes and records Of both de-
partments, finding all the actions that
have been begun and dropped. or all the
causes OF action on which no suits have
been started. and getting ready 10 start
campaign OF cleaning Up" litigation.
Nobody's pull is going TO be worth
the snap Of a finger, Il IS promised. No
case that hasn't been positively out
lawed is going 10 be excused. Land
actions, Indian cases. patent cases, all
sorts OF them are TO be dragged out Of
the cobWebs, the dust brushed away,
and something done right away.
"The Laws Delays"
'The processes OF the courts" are no.
toriously slow in this country. but no.
where are they so slow as in the prose
cution OF Government actions by the
district attorneys Nobody is willing
10 estimate how many cases there are
pending for years. which could be drag
ged out and resurrected. TO the discon-
nture Of ltigants; but there are GER
tainly thousands upon thousands OF
them, according to officials.
Secretary Garfield and Assistant Al
torney General Woodrum. OF The In
terror Department. have started the re-
FORM. They couldn't do anything ef-
IsctNe without the cooperation OF the
department OF Justice, so an arrange
ment has been made for co-ODeraflCn
joint committee representing the TwO
departments has been arranged for.
which will systematically 20 into ali
ls..-,. Us til aha looA up the antecedents OF
SdseS winch appear 70 be pending. but
ior any reason, or without any reason.
nave not been urged 20 trial.
Cases Almost Forgotten.
The investigation is stupendous task.
Thousands Of cases. ii is declared. have
been pending so long that nobody now
in ofice-district attorneys. department
officials or anybody else-knows anything
more about them than the musty records
show; and these are often INCOMPLETE.
They have been handed down from one
official 10 another. accommodating cob
webs and must from year 10 year.
sometimes the failure Of prosecution has
Deen Que 70 the quiet eXertion OF politi-
caI lnhUence, sometimes 10 the fact that
the district attorney was too busy with
private practice 10 worry about Gov
ernneat cases that nobody was worry
ing MN ABOUT. Some Of the cases repre-
sent Dig amounts some are small. some
Involve very big and influential people,
some are prosecutions Of ''boot-leggers. .
But, big or little, If they haven't been
outlaWed they are all 10 be dug I'D,
and explanations required
Every district attorney will be called
upon 70 explain the status OF all cases
or matters which should have been
made the basis OF suits. in his hands.
no matter how old. The records OF the
two big departments will be checked
against the records Of the district at
torneys, and ii is thought the result
viii be q complete listing Of cases. Then
the district attorneys must do busi-
ness.
Condition Appalling.
Secretary Garfield was astounded at
the slaclness Of this phase OF work
when he looked in on the Interior De-
partment, and It did not take him long
TO decide that radical reform was need
ed. In Mr.. Woodruff he found the sort
of man to do the work he wanted. and
they have been busy with 1t ever since.
The condition OF affairs developed Is lit
lie less than appalling. The condition
that will be developed when all the
cases are started will be a long Vay
worse than appalling, according to all
accounts. District attorneys will be
the busiest men in the country. espe-
cially in the public land States. where (
business.
The cooperation of the Justice and
Interior Departments in the work Is
expected to lead to like union of ef- |
forts between the Treasury and the Ju- /
dicial Department in the near future /
though it is stated that conditions there
are not nearly so bad.