The Washington herald., 1912-05-05
TAHDINEss IN
ARCHIBALD CASE
MAY HURT Taft
Friends Regret He Did Not
Anticipate Norris Reso.
luton Of Inquiry.
FEAR RECONSTRUCTION
Roosevelt Partisans Confident Presi-
dent VIII Be Put in
Wrong Light.


That President Taft committed a polit
ieal bIunder that may work serious in
jury to his cause by his hardness II
transmitting to the House COMMITTEES OF
the Judiciary the charges against Rober
W. Archibald. judge Of the United State
Commerce Court. and Attorney Genera
Wickersham's report thereon. is the out
spoken opinion OF many friends Of tn,
administration in Washington. Enemie,
of the administration. particularly tn,
Roosevelt supporters. were jubilant yes
terdayf over the construction, they claim
which VIII be placed upon the affair.
That Mr.. Taft knew OF the charge:
and ordered an investigation into then
by the Attorney General last February
with a view 10 taking just such actor
as he did yesterday, and yet allowed the
matter TO rest until the Information
finally was transmitted 10 the House, n
reply to a resolution introduced by al
enemy Of the administration. Representa-.
tive Norris Of Nebraska, win, Il is feared
place the President in the false position
Of being unwilling that the charges
should be sifted as speedily as possible
The charges involve the alleged par
ucipation OF Judge Archibald in deals
for cuim banks with the Erie railroad
while Mr. Arcnnaid was United states
circuit Judge IN Pennsylvania
Forced Taft's Hand.
Inasmuch as Mr. TAFT evidently had
determined that the charges, brought 10
his attention last February, should be
sitted to the bottom, ana II they seemed
founded on TACT should be referred 70
the House Judiciary Committee. friends
OF the administration regret exceedingly
that he did not push the auair. IN order
10 anticipate the Norris resolution.
President Taft yesterday, IN answer 10
the Norris resolution, transmitted TO the
House a message in which he Indicated
the charges OF misconduct TO have sur
ncient color tc warrant an investigation
by the judiciary Committee.
Declaring it was mot compatible with
the public interest" to make the informa-
ton public. and suggesting that the mat
ter be sifted out by the Judiciary Com
mittee, President Taft transmitted to
mass OF papers dealing with the charges
against Judge Archibald That the Presi-
dent was impressed with statements of
the case made TO him by officers Of the
Department Of Justice Is indicated in his
suggestion that the papers accompanying
bis message should not be presented to
the House, and thus avoid wide publicity
until they shall have been examined by
SBAIlulllee.
The Archibald case will come up for
consideration before the judiciary Com
mfttef Tuesday Immediately upon the
receipt BY the House Of the papers ac-
companying the Presidents message,
they were forwarded to the committee
room and placed under seal The seal
VIII be broken in the presence of the fun
committee on Tuesday by Representative
Clayton of Alabama, the chairman of the
committee. Here is the Presidents $
message:
The Presidents Message.
Il am in receipt of copy of a reso-
luton adopted by the House on April 3,
reading as follows:
Resolved, That the President of the
United States be. and he is hereby, re-
quested, If not Incompatible with the pub
lie interest, to transmit to the House of
representatives copy of any charges
filed against Robert W. Archibald, Asso-
ciate Judge of the United States Com
merce Court, together with the report
OF any special attorney or agent appoint
ed by the Department of Justice to in
Vestigate such charges, and a COPY Of
any and all afhdaYits, photographs, and
evidence filed in the Department Of Jus
tce in relation to said charges, together
with statement Of the action Of the
Department of Justice. If any, taken upon
said charges and report
In reply, have to state that. in Feb
ruary last, certain charges oK improper
conduct by the Hon. Robert W. Archibald,
formerly district Judge of the United
States Court for the Middle District of
Pennsylvania, and now judge of the
United States Commerce Court were
brought to my attention by Commits
sioner Meyer, of the Interstate Com
merce Commission. I transmitted these
charges to the Attorney General, by let
ter dated February 1S, instructing him
to investigate the matter, confer fully
With Commissioner Meyer, and have his
agents make as fun report upon the SUBJ
ject as might be necessary, and. should
the charges be established sufficiently to
justify proceedings on them, bring the
matter before the Judiciary Committee
OF the House Of Representatives.
Advice of Attorney General.
The Attorney General has made a,
careful investigation Of the charges ana.
as a result Of that investigation. has
advised me that. in his opinion, thes
papers should be transmitted to the Com
mittee on the Judiciary OF the House
to be used by them as a basis for an
investigation into the facts involved in
the charges. 1 have. therefore. directed
him to transpit all OF the papers to the
Committee on the judiciary; but, in my
opinion, and I think it will prove
In the opinion of the committee II Is
not compatible with the public interests
to lay all these papers before the House
Of Representatives until the COMMITTEES
On the Judiciary shall have sifted them
out and determined the extent to which
they deem 1t essential to the thorough
ness Of their investigation not to make
the same public at the present time.
But all Of the papers are in the hands Of
the committee and. therefore, within the
control Of the House"
It appears from the foregoing that the
Archibald case has been under inquiry
~ Attorney General Wickersham since
last Whatever the merits OF
he question, is matter OF common gos-
ip in Washington that certain persons
ire attempting to make political capi- !
al out Of the proceedings against Judge