Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-02
RESENTS THE CHARGES
Clark of Florida Contradicts
Stories of Peonage.
PRONOUNCES THEM FALSE
People Of His State, He Says, Court
Fullest Investigation.
CR1T1CIsEs FEDERAL REPORTS
Bitterly Attacks Assistant Attorney
partial Inquiry as to Facts.

In bitter criticism of a department. OF
the government and some of its officials
Mr.. Clark of Florida in the House today
declared that the state of Florida was
prepared to answer 1.-The accounts OF pc
onage.' slavery involuntary servitude,
brutal and inhuman treatment of labor
ers and other publications which smell
of the slums' and in some of the most re-
markable documents emanating from the
Department of Justice OF the United
States" which, he charged, were abso-
lutely false in all essential particulars.
The people of Florida. he asserted.
courted the fullest investigation of a mat
ter which had been Of SO much injury to
the fair name of their state. He predicted
that these people Twill come through the
ordeal of investigation without the smell
of fire upon their garments and In spite
of the batteries Of SANDER which for the
past year have been belching their In
famous 'slum-begotten' fabrications."
"An Unfortunate Selection"
The Department Of Justice. Mr.. Clark
charged, had never been specially dis
tinguished 'for the legal knowledge OF
the alleged lawyers who are generally
supposed to be housed therein" but he
said that usually something of a lawyer"
country had fallen into "evil times with
reference to the big chief of that de-
partment. Whatever may be the Qualift-
cations of Attorney General Bonaparte,
he said. that Official had been unfortu-
nate in the selection OF some Of his infe-
riors to- whom had been committed Pc
onage prosecutions in Florida and other
states He referred to Attorney General
Bonaparte as .this transplanted bud of
alleged French nobility" who had Deen
acquainted with a lady bearing the Gu
phonious cognomen of Mrs. Mary Grace
Quackenbos, whose field of labor prior to
her acquaintance with the great Balti-
more lawyer was in the slums of the
East Side Of dear old Manhattan ISLE"
He presumed therefore that Mr.. Bona
a very proper person to send to Florida TO
regulate conditions in the south.
Mr.. Clark next turned his attention to
Assistant Attorney General Charles w.
Russell. who was given charge of the in
vestigation. and who. he said. quickly
Cod" he exclaimed. what a combination.
In normal times it would be an affection
upon any people to send into their midst
Charles w. Russell a southern man and
democrat and Mary Grace Quacken-
bos' in combination or separately"
Must Restrain Himself.
Referring to certain prosecutions in
Florida Mr.. Clark said that "the capers
cut by these people in the federal courts
in my state take the palm" He could
not. he said, at the present time discuss
either the merits Of the cases "of tho
conduct of these people as he would like
to, but as regarded Mr.. Russell, he said:
This presence forbids my characterizing
him as he ought to be characterized, as
he deserves to be designated. and as
would designate him If I could do so
with offending the prophecies of this pres
ehce. 1T is a dirty bird that befouls Its
own nest"
Mr.. Russell. asserted Mr.. Clark. has
only recently filed with the committee on
rules Of the House his report of February
IA. 1907. in which he said. Mr.. Russell
writes himself down as absolutely un.
worthy to be intrusted with high place,
where the honor. the integrity or the
liberty of the citizen is involved" Mr..
Russell. he asserted. had gone out Of his
way to attack him personally and he said
'if i were somewhere else. where the
rules would permit. / would not hesitate
to denounce his statement in language
about the meaning Of which there would
be no mistake" The statement, Mr..
Clark declared. us base fabrication cut
out of the whole cloth"
Mr.. Clark defended Judge James w.
Locke. who tried the O'Hara cases, and
appealed to the House to give the people
of Florida an opportunity "to meet be-
fore an impartial and honest body of in
vestigators the maligners of the fair
name of Florida
Mr.. Humphreys Also Indignant.
Mr.. Humphreys of Mississippi also took
up the question of peonage He charged
that systematic campaign had been
waged for the past twelve months
through the press of the country, ''by
those whose interests could best be served
in that way for the purpose of discour-
aging immigration to the SOUTH Stories
of peonage and white slavery, he said.
had been conjured up and given to the
press with sensational coloring and the
state of Mississippi especially held up to
the world as slave camp. Agents of the
Italian government. he said. had busted
themselves lin connecting and circulat-
ing" these stories. When I deny them as
do now most vehemently deny Them"
said he. Il want some tribunal created and
authorized to swear witnesses and hear
testimony and before which this issue