The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-02-05

recognized among makers OF newspa-
pefs that the man who gets to the
public first with a story usually gets
better hearing and that, as rule,
that which has most ginger in it or
raises good laugh at somebody's ex-
pense is most widely read. When the
correspondence between the President
and Hartman over campaign contribu,
tons for 1904 was making great stir,
the President came to the front at
once with the sensational $4,000
conspiracy dinner. The public saw that
the conspiracy story was fresher and
looked bigger than the Hartman mat.
ter. They forgot forthwith about Har.
riman and began to denounce the rich
capitalists who were willing-so it has
been said by nebu1ous somebody-to
spend $5,000,000 to down their Pres.
ident.
Reached the Public Promptly.
The President got to the public with
his denunciation and exposure Of Till.
man along with the story of his cen.
sure by the House. Mr.. Hale had not
then appointed his special committee
of investigation, but as soon as the
President made that move the Senator
allowed no grass to grow under his feet.
The committee is now going to work
with q vengeance. Whatever Mr.. Till.
man g many faults may be, the Senate
recognizes his sterling integrity. Ii he
has erred, the Senate believes it only
an indiscretion. They resented in the
Senate the summary mepper in which
the President proceeded against mem
Der of their own legislative body.
| Tn ho N, pti thara had hpau nj hpr
"doings" to stir the staid old Senate.
Senator Culberson, minority leader,
largely for political purposes undoubt.
eddy, had secured the passage of a
resolution, asking the attorney general,
in effect, why there had been no prose
cution of the United States Steel Trust
| for absorbing the Tennessee Coal and
Iron Company during the panic months
of the autumn of 1907. The President
came right back at the Senate. He told
them that he had acquiesced in that
transaction on representations made to
him by E. H. Gary and II. c. Prick.
He Furthermore rebuked the Senate for
addressing an inquiry to one of his cabi-
| net officers instead of to, himself. He
had told Attorney General Bonaparte,
he said, not to answer that inquiry.
This, too, angered the Senate. The
way in which it was done, as well as
belief that the President was mistaken
in denying the right of the Senate to
address inquiries to his cabinet officers
augmented the resentment. The speedy
and emphatic rejoinder of the Senate
took form in the passage of a resolu
ton directing the Senate Committee
on Judiciary to inquire whether the
President was warranted in permitting
such a consolidation to be made with
his approval. The Judiciary Commit
tee, composed of the Senate's ablest
lawyers, is now at work on the investi-
cation. Its report is naturally awaited
with the keenest interest. If the re-
port is adverse to the President, as it
is understood it will likely be, that will
be tantamount to a rebuke, and may be
quite as forceful as the rebuke admin
istered by the House. For it is very
serious thing to have an official pro
nouncement that a President has ex
ceeded the law, which he is sworn to
enforce and obey.
Two Unfriendly Verdicts in Prospect
These two Senate committees there
fore are sitting on matters involving
quarrels with the President, and there
is every probability that the high s.ate
of feeling there VIII manifest itself in
ways which can not be commendatory
of the occupant OF the White House.
But there are quite as vigorous ac-
tivities at the House end of the Capitol.
The "chiding committee as the
special committee appointed before the
holidays to investigate the offensive
| nyNl,c haS IN
be known, completed its labors " hen
Chairman Perkins had reported in
favor of rebuke and that resolution
had been adopted. The very next day,
a Saturday, Chairman Tdwney of APP
preparations, whom the President had
assailed for urging the passag e of the
provision restricting the operations of
the Secret Service to the Treasury De.
partment during this fiscal year, which
provoked the President outburSt in
his annual message, introduced and
had enacted a resolution for a special
committee of inv estieat;on. This reso-
luton is drastic and comprehensive in
its terms. 1t au .hoIiZcs an inquiry into
statements that the President made re-
garding members and employees of the
House and also a most searching in
| curry INTO the operatlons OF the secret
Service Brrear. i is so sweeping that
the special committee has authority to
drag into the light every record of the
Secret Service Bureau. The signifi-
canoe of that can orly be Appreciated
when it is remembered that it has been
regarded as almost impious to pry into
! secrets of that bureau. Even the names
of the Secret Service men are withheld
from the public. OF course, a few of
them are known, especially those " no
are acting as the President s body.
guard.
The special House committee is plain.
| ~ "after blood,' and the thipgs they
will do to the Secret Service will be
good and plenty. They are gong to
show what Secret Serlic men have
been doing, where they have been and
all that sort of thirg. The special
committee is also going to admit lot
of testimony about how tie President
at one time talked against the Secret
Service, how he sought the aid of those
whom he has recently accused for the
! purpose of getting the salary of his of.
Rae Al