New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-21
THE DAyINWASHINGTON

Of to-day. the greatest crime of which an
administration Official can be guilty is to
ehey the law or TO construe the law as 4, is
written Attorney -Gsne-al wickersham
called upon 10 construe certain United
States and Philippine laws believed to have
bearing on the sale i'm question. decided
that the sale was legal. but no faul. IS
found with the law. Instead. Mr.. Wick
ershsm is denounced because he construed
the law as he found IL. John Henry Ham
niond. young lawyer now OF the firm OF
Strong & Cadwalader. OF which Mr.. Wick
ersham was formerly member. was re-
quested by judge Johnson. OF Philadelphia.
10 make inquiry at the War Department
regarding the legality OF the sale the Phil
ipplne government was about to complete
I'm other words. TO make a routine inquiry
concerning title before Judge Johnson's
client paid the money. on learning that
the government might have to take 'discre-
tionary action" an6 because OF his connec-
tion with Mr.. wickershams former firm.
Mr.. Hammond promptly turned the case
over 20 other attorneys. His connection
with the case had consisted OF one call at
the Insular Bureau. but that is quite suffi-
Gent basis for a muckraker 10 charge the
Attorney General with malfeasance
SUGAR TRUST PROSECUTIONS.-In
connection with this affair. the muck-rakers
with great glee bring to light a thrice pub
hshed letter written by Attorney General
Nickersham TO Henry A Wise special
counsel for the United States in the Sugar
Trust prosecutions. In this letter Mr.. Wick
ersham took the ground that indictments
should not be returned where the statute
Of limitations had run or where there was
mo reasona BILE ground 10 believe that they
could be sustained and said an effort
would be made &c persuade the President
TO prevent the indictments. 1t is remarked
by those who deprecate this wave OF muck
raking that IL would be easy to imagine
the storm of denunciation which would
have followed had the Attorney General
instructed HIS subordinate TO secure indict-
ments regardless of whether the statute
had run or there uas a reasonable ground
for believing they could be sustained.
Then, IL is remarked. he would have been
accused in vociferous tones Of making "a
grsndstsnd play and seeking 20 secure in
dictments, despite the fac: that he believed
no convictions could follow. All is grist
that comes 20 the mill Of the muck-raker.
and. by the same token, all is chaT that
appeals TO the mentality Of his dupes.
TO BENEFIT IMMIGRANTS.-Repre
sentative Bennett, who rs member of the
immigration Commission. and as such has
had an opportunity to become familiar with
the hsrdships and abuses to which imrni-
grants are subjected. has obtained from
the Committee on Immigration the promise
Of = favorable report on his bill pro
viding that surgeons and nurses of the
United States Marine Hospital Service shall
be detailed 70 travel on vessels bringing
immigrants 20 this country. so that they
need not be entirely az the mercy Of the
officers and crews of the incoming vessels.
Agents Of the Immisration Commission
found scandalous conditions prevailing in
the steerage on such vessels al too fre-
neutrality-suspicious. which in some in
stances could hardly he described in the
public prints-snd Mr.. Bennett aims by this
legislation 80 correct these abuses and TO
promote health. q q, n.