New-York tribune., 1909-02-11
EncorRAGLNG TIE oTHERs.

All the dispatches agree that Mr.. Wallis, for
a few days q nominee for State Superintendent
of Insurance. was "grilled" by the Senate Com
nni+tee on Insurance The "grilhng' went SO
far that Senator Grady. who once did ''the
dirtiest DAVIS work. of his life in Buffalo, re-
fused In response to prompting. TO go any
further. Naturally he could not be expected to
go so far in doing the work of any one else
as he would in doing the work Of Boss Muir
phv. Mr.. Wallis was treated very much as
if he were a witness being cross examined by
the prosecution in a criminal trial of Gov
ernor Hughes And the questions asked him
were not of the remotest relevancy. So far as
the public is concerned, his case is a closed
incident Having had his reputation assa1led in
the Senate while bis nomination was pending
he was entitled to opportunity TO clear up
the public misapprehension regarding It. When
he had done that--and he does appear to have
done it completely-his case should have Deen
dismissed from further consideration
But Mr. Wallis's explanation having disposed
of whatever discredit rested upon the Governor
for having made an appointment which nad
subsequently to be withdrawn, his Senatorial
inquisitors were not happy. They were so
anxious to "get something on the Governor
that they forgot ordinary courtesy IN thelr
treatment of a man whose worst known onence
seems to have been q notion that 1t was ms
duty 10 give up SZO,UOU luCoLne III pAif0'N -
10 take a $1,000 salary in the service Of the
state. If all the charges against him could
be so simply explained away, they reasoned
what mysterious thing lay behind his With
drawal? Was there something worse to be got
on the Governor if they could only nose it out:
Was the withdrawal really voluntary? DID the
Governor inspire that dreadful attack upon the
statesmen of the Senate involved in the impu-
tation that they would suffer ''pohticaF con-
siderations TO influence them in their determine
ton Of an appointee's fitness.
Well. nothing was got on the Governor but
Mr. Wallis received a very valuable ana
much needed lesson upon the dangers 10 per-
sons with a sense of the duty OF public service
In intruding into the unfamiliar realm OF pol
itics He apoIogized over and over again 10 fhe
committee we doubt not, with a deep sense or
his unworthiness for mot knowing anything
about politics" He was bewildered by what
happened TO him during his brief incursion inlo
the field such as for example the accidental
omission from the report Of the State Insurance
Department regarding his irregularities or a
letter from the Superintendent of Insurance eX-
rresslv approving of one OF those Irregular
ties! He Is such political innocent that he
doubtless wonders why he was treated as If It
were a high crime and misdemeanor for him 10
be willing to enter the public service at con-
siderable financial sacrifice
The state needs TO attract men OF a superior
character into its employ, and Governor Hughes
is doing what he can to give prestige to It's SER
vice Perhaps Mr.. Wallis got the "grilling" he
did on the witness stand. and Mr.. Cooks ap-
pointment received the treatment 1t did pour
encourager les autres'!