The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-06-15
# Idaho, republican, introduced a

OF Idaho, republican, introduced a
sugar investigation resolution in the
senate, and Campbell of Kansas, re-
publican, introduced a similar one in
the house.
The president was greatly dis
pleased. He sent message to con-
gress advising against an investiga-
ton on the ground that 1t might
give immunity to the men higher up
and otherwise embarass the govern
ment. The message was based on an
opinion of United State attorney
general Wickersham, who was in
spring Washington dispatches at the
time with the impression that he was
about to prosecute the trust heads
criminally for the $2,000,0OO sugar
underweight frauds.
Now comes the attorney general
with the statement, made under oath
before house investigating commit
tee, that he never believed that the
heads of the sugar trust could be
successfully prosecuted for the I'M
derweight frauds. He also says they
would not have secured immunity
from prosecution had they testified.
In other words the excuses given
by both the president and the attor-
ney general as to why the sugar trust
should not be investigated under a
republican house, are now admitted
to have been but excuses.
The real reason as to why the re-
publicans were unwilling to permit
a congressional investigation of the
sugar trust is, therefore, again de-
batable question. WaB It because the
attorney general had been a former
sugar trust attorney as we'll as a
former steel trust attorney? Was it
because Henry P. Taft, the brother
of the president, YVES then and is now
the official sugar TRUST attorney? Or
was it because the sugar trust has al
ways been friend and ally of the
republican party, and one of its star
campaign fund contributors?
Running Down q Clue.
While investigating expenditures
in the state department, where it
cost $206 to shoe four horses for a
year, the house investigating COM
mittee struck upon a clue tending to
show that an artist of the name of
Rosenthal had been paid $3.50 for
portrait of Justice W. r. Day and
that the records of the state depart
men had been doctored to show that
he had been paid 92,450. Rosenthal
testified that he signed a blank
voucher when he was given the
$3.50. Subsequently the voucher was
made to show that he had acknowl-
edged the receipt of $2,450.
AS it is the duty of the committee
under the law to investigate the ex-
penditures in the state department,
Chairman Hamlin ordered the de-
partment to produce it's books. In
stead of doing so the secretary of
state appeared before the commit
tee with letter from the president
ordering him not to comply with the
committees demands.
Fighting Reciprocity.
The senate is attempting to kill
the reciprocity bill by SO amending
it that it will not be acceptable to-.
Canada.
Senator Root of New York is pre-
pairing an amendment in the Inter-
est of the paper trus*. 1t will be re-
called that when reciprocity was be-
fore the senate at the last session
Senator Root was one of those who
were boisterous in their protests that
amendment was impracticable and
impossible. That was less than five
months ago, and now Mr.. Root, re-
versing himself, declares the agree
ment must be amended so as to bene-
fit the paper interests. His opposition
is only a part of systematic cam
paign being waged against reciproc-
ity.