The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-26
SCALP SEEKING
IN THE THROES
Congress Probe Rent, and
Its Members Yearn
For Target.

NV vestgations now under way
before special and standing
committees of the house of
representatives and the nine members
of President Taft's cabinet In demand
as witnesses in connection with Demo
cratic attacks upon the Republican ad-
ministration official Washington is in
the throes Of a party probe such as has
not been seen before in nearly forty
years. At that time when the first
Democratic congress since the civil
war was enjoying power the Demo
Gratis turned loose with inquisitorial
powers, just as they have in the pres.
ent special session, the committee on
expenditures in the executive depart.
ments and other special probing com.
rNittees.
reign Of terror was created in the
national capital. and as a result Of the
Investigations Secretary of War Belk.
nap was impeached. jobs were abol-
ished. salaries reduced and a big cut
was made in the actual expenditures.
Biggest Sensation Promised.
To accept the word of some of the
house Democrats just now one would
get the idea that the big storm of near
ly forty years ago was merely a
zephyr to the cyclone that is gathering
as a result of the labors of the present
probe. AS matter of fact, however,
the Democrats were exceedingly dis
couraged up to few days ago at the
lack of success that had attended their
labors in the probing line.
Most Of them had been confident that
after sixteen years of Republican
"misrule," as they are pleased to call
it, almost any committee not too much
hampered by a sense of fairness and
actuated largely by desire to stir up
stuff suitable for campaign material
could acquire great merit ia q short
time. But as a matter of fact the
steel and sugar special committees and
the committee on expenditures in the
state department were the only three
that up to recently had managed to
stir up sufficient interest to secure any
considerable amount Of publicity, and
in this connection 1t should not be over
looked that the steel and sugar COM
mittees have had big men prominent in
the public eye before them, while the
state department committee managed
to discover that $1,000 was mishan-
died in the state department in 1909
under a now obsolete system of book.
keeping
But the cropping out of the Wiley
controversy and the charges against
President Taft and Attorney General
Wickersham growing out of the Con
troller Bay and Alaska syndicate prop
ositions have given the Democrats re-
newed hope of stirring up something
of sufficient size to assist in making q
campaign against the present admins
tration.
List of Investigations.
Ignoring the Lorimer inquiry at the
senate end of the capitol, here are the
investigations authorized by the house
which are now under way: Steel trust,
Controller Bay land tangle, Indian land
scandals, trust busting expenditures.
Foster big fee case, effort to oust Dr.
Wiley, threatened extinction of Pribi.
lof seal herd, government of the Dis.
trict of Columbia, irregularities at
Washington navy yard and alleged
general extravaganza in naval service,
alleged persecution of Lewis publica-
tions, railway mail service trouble, al
legged favoritism shown to Major Ray
Of the army and other charges.
Extravaganza in the United States
army, charges against Attorney Gener-
al Wickersham in connection with
Alaska syndicate frauds, parcels post
proposition and other postal service
matters, fire protection in government
buildings and governmental methods
of constructing public buildings, viola
tions of civil service law, creosote un-