The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-01-29
A GENTLE ROAST
Given Secretary Cortelyou By
Senator Ti|Iman Because He
FAILED r0 RESPOND

Bonds.-SenatOr A1drich Defends
Cortelyou and Make Excuses for
Him, Which Causes Senator Till
man to Use Some Caustic Remarks.
Just before the United States
Senate adjourned Tuesday Senator
Aldrich received letter from Sec
retary Cortelyou explaining the de-
lay that has been experienced in his
reply to the resolution calling on
him for information concerning the
recent Panama canal bond issue and
the letter was promptly laid before
the senate. Earlier in the day Sena-
tor Tillman indulged in caustic COM
ment upon what he characterized
as the secretary's apparent disc
bedience' to senate resolution
In his letter Mr.. Cortelyou said:
Il am sorry that there should
have been a misunderstanding as to
the time when my answer to the
senate resolution regarding the
treasury operations would be sent in.
Had / been advised Of your request
to know when it might be expected,
I would have replied that required
a little more time to go over the
mass Of figures it involved. 1t is my
desire, of course, that all business
OF this kind shall be disposed Of
promptly, but this matter IS so i'm
portant that I have felt it desirable
that every feature Of the report
should be clearly stated, both for the
information of the senate and in
justice to the department. It is my
desire and intention to submit a
complete response to the resolution
and I hope to have it ready in the
course Of the next few days-in all
probability about the beginning Of
next week
''The amount Of work involved in
the preparation of such voluminous
data may nor be fully appreciated
by some, but it should be remember
ed that the force in all the bureaus
here, wE,ch have to do intimately
with fin eial matters, have been
for weeks working over time on the
regular business Of the department
and to have this duty put upon them
in addition materially increases their
burdens"
Mr. Tillman opened this question
in the senate by inquiring whether
the vice president had received re-
ply to the resolution from the secre-
tary of the treasury.
Nothing yet" responded the vice
president.
"It is little curious that an Of
fcer Of the government should be
willing after We have given him con-
siderable time to send in the infor-
nation" said Mr.. Tillman. 1.-THE cur
rency bill is to be brought in and
pressed for consideration and it
seems strange that the secretary Of
the treasury who is directly respon-
sible for our financial affairs should
refuse to send in report giving the
information we need.
Chairman Aldrich Of the finance
committee, who was out Of the room
when Mr.. Tillman made the inquiry,
reentered the room at this juncture,
just as Senator Platt suggested that
he be called.
eve are told" said Mr.. Tillman,
that Secretary Cortelyou is i'll, but
he was not too i'll to go to New York
to make a speech. 1t seems extra
ordinarily phenomenal that we can
not get a report from him.
"The fact is,' said Mr.. Aldrich,
"the papers were in form to be pre-
sented and they were placed before
Secretary Cortelyou, but he found in
order to make the presentation to
the senate in form satisfactory to
would require longer time
than was supposed.
"The criticism in the senate as to
that action led the secretary to make
a frank and explicit answer to ali
suggestions as to what was done
with the bonds and certificates Of
The secretary assured
me this morning that he is preps!r-
ing this matter as rapidly as posi-
ble."
"Is no definite time fixed?" asked
Mr.. Tillman. GAS soon as possible
means between now and doomsday."
Those of us who know Mr.. Cor
telyou," said Mr.. AldTich, know
that he is never delinquent in his
public duties, and I think if the SEN
ator from South Carolina would find
an opportunity to talk this matter
over with him he would be satisfied"
1T did not take that long to issue
he bonds" insisted Mr. Tillman.
'That was simple matter" re-
;orted Mr.. Aldrich. "'The senator
rom South Carolina does not realize
hat he can put down on paper in
luiries that will take many months
md much work on the part Of the
orce Of a great department to an
wer. It is much easier to ask Ques-
ions than to answer them.
The senator will recall" inter-
upted Mr.. Tillman, that these
Luestions were asked by his own
ommittee. Now I will give some
additional reasons why we would
ave this information forwarded TO
IS, I have a letter from Mr.. Klo-
ecg inclosing a reply he received
rom Assistant Secretary Edwards.
This" he continued, may give
cme light as showing why the Sec
etary finds it so difficult to answer
aquiries we have propounded. This
5 the letter giving reasons why he
efused to recognize bidders for
onds."