New-York tribune., 1909-01-28
FOOLED BY CULBERSON
SOME SENATOR'S TRAPPED.
Ran Into Blind Alley IN Tennessee
Coal Company Inquiry.

from The Tribune Bureau
Washington. Jan 21.-Senator Cuberson has
in the estimation of the Senate leaders demon
strated his fitness for the position of minority
| leader by leading certain Republican statesmen
up a blind alley and gently srelieving them Of
their valuables while they supinely submitted.
some of them at least, under the impression
that Mr.. Culberson was merely assisting them
| in the gentle and agreeable pastime of getting
even with the President At the approach of
daylight this morning these able statesmen
somewhat footsore and weary from their pere-
grinations under the leadership of the Texas
tactician. awakened to the fact that they had
been, as one of them expressed it, "a parcel of
guileless idiots assisting Culberson to demon
strate his own prOwess to his Democratic col
leagues" No sooner had the Senate met than
Senator Aldrich summoned the culprits before
him and gently broke the news 10 them that
they had been generously taken in by the
minority leader
Now that they are alive to the fact. the chair
man of the Judiciary Committee will refrain
from sending to n. c. Frick Judge f. H Gary,
Charles NJ Schwab and "a certain New York
banker the invitations to appear before the
committee which it was agreed yesterday should
be issued. The subpoena to George w. Perkins,
of New York has already gone and that cannot
be recalled. but 1t is appreciated that Mr.. Per
kins will not prove gold mine OF information.
a fact which is something of relief to the
Republican members Of the committee.
The President has been fully alive to the man
ner in which the Democratic leader be
guiling his Republican colleagues on the sub
committee. and has taken the precaution to send
to the Commissioner Of Corporations for the
data collected regarding the merger of the Ten
nessee Coal and Iron Company with the United
States Steel Corporation and to put it in safe
te tIa Of he III
dietary Committee The President told the
chairman of that committee this morning that
when the bureau Of corporations was created he
had urged that it receive power TO compel cor
poratons to furnish information that the Sen
ate had deemed such provision too drastic
and that II had merely provided that such in
formation might be gathered under pledge of
confidence when the corporations were willing
so to furnish It: that the steel company had fur
nished abundant data under the seal of conf
dence and that he purposed to that the con-
fdenCe was not violated; that he believed in
keeping faith sincerely with a corporation as
with individual and that the government had
practically information which il at lib
erty to disclose
Mr.. Culberson in prosecuting the inquiry
which the Senate thoughtlessly decided upon at
his behest, has gone So far that il may prove
impossible to shut off the inquiry Immediately.
President however. They appreciate his posi-
tion and feel that they cannot properly ask him
t" violate a confidence Mr.. Culberson will, Of
course make all the partisan capital possible out
OF the situation. but the leaders are determined
ne shall receive further assistance from the
Republicans. 1t is possible that resolution
may be adopted calling the Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor to submit such data as he
is at liberty to disclose. but there will be no
effort to press him beyond the proprieties
As predicted In these dispatches when the
Culberson resolution first adopted, the In
quiry will end in nothing. The Senate will not
prejudice the course Of the. President for the
simple reason that II his action has been .un-
lawful II might be called upon To act in a judi
cial capacity. and I'm thn mean time the Repub-
Iican members of the Judiciary Committee will
extricate themselves from most unfortunate
position with as little injury to their dignity and
feelings as the situation will permit. Probably
the only Republican member Or the sub-com
mittee who. in his heart at least. Is not cha
erined at the extent Of Mr. Culbersons success
is Senator Kittredge. of South Dakota. whose
term as Senator expires March 4.