Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-08-30
Turn On All the Light.

Boies Penrose, standing at the
switch board, has turned on more
light than he intended.
The light should be kept on. The
switch should be thrown wide open.
The senate is adjourning. Its COM
mittee should remain at it's import
ant work. There Is no more pressing
service in the country today than this
may be made. The committee should
be instructed to uncover the whole
machinery of Standard Oil politics.
1t should be fully empowered. 1t
should have counsel skilled in exami-
nation 1t should have all necessary
assistance and a sufficient appropria-
tion to make its work effective.
Having been led to the threshold of
the truth, the American people will
demand that the senate shall 20 on.
and at once to through claritication.
No matter how tainted the source,
how colored and trimmed and garbled
the report, let us have all we can get
without check. Already we have had
testimony of great interest before
congressional committees. We have
had the Penrose-Archbold cores
pondence, and now we have Senator
Penrose's pers onal authoritative
statement of the contribution of the
Standard OH to the Republican
national campaign fund in 1904 and
to Senator Penrose's Pennsylvania
fund.
There is Witness John d. Arch bold.
More even than Senator Penrose, Mr..
ArchbOld can tell US. Already he has
testified. But that was but glimpse
he has given us. He has testified
that in 1904 Standard Oil contributed
100000 to the Republican national
fund, and $25, 900 Mr.. Archbold paid
TO Senator PenroSe. Hearst's maya
zine has published a letter which
seems to have accompanied this latter
payment. Its phraseology is too
sinister in it's implication for either
Mr.. Archbold or Senator Penrose to
be content with the very halting COM
ment they have made upon 1t. Mr..
Archbold does not think 1t isgenuine.
Senator Penrose hints chat it is a
forgery The fact should be Sestab-
liShed.
And this is not the only letter of
Mr.. Archbold or purporting to be Mr..
Archbold's which is crying to heaven
f,r ri rTNhorn 1otfarS
men potent in the affairs of politics,
letters involving other men, the For
aker letters, the Sibley letters, the
Grosvenor letters, the Quay letters,
letters treating of the qualities Of
that pillar of Democracy, Bailey Of
Texas, and men high in the business
world and men active and influential
if not high in the world of practical
politics. They give picture OF the
qualifications OF Standard Oil through
out our national affairs during con-
siderable period, and they have chal-
leuged the alarmed attention of an
aroused people. They also bring into
unenviable publicity many men, some
now passed away, some living and in
fiuential still.
1t is preposterous that having testi-
fed to but one incident Of the great
process of which he was part, Mr..
Archbold should now step down from
the witness stand. 1t is said he has a
trip to Europe planned. But what is
such consideration when a nation Of
80, 10000 is awaiting his words?
Other citizens have foregone more i'm
portant matters than a vacation to
serve the state Will Mr.. Archbold
turn tail now? Will the senate per-
nit him to leave? We are In the
midst of a great campaign. Senator
Penrose and other public men have
brought forward most opportunety
this burning issue of the relations of
organized money to government and
party. The subject is barely broach-
ed and Mr.. Archbold is the richest
source of Information now existing
How can the senate, if it would be
fair to all concerned, or walving all
personal claims, If it desires to serve
the welfare of the republic, how can
the senate permit an interruption
until the campaign is almost overf
When Mr.. Archbold returns and
once more the senate has access to
| his capacious memory, to his files
which he will open, to the sources OF
further enlightment to which his In.
formation will lead, it will be too late
to make full disclosure and too late tc
debate or to weigh the full Significance
of evidence.
| Surely this wrong will not be done
The investigation should proceed anC
it cannot properly proceed without
Mr.. Archbold. - Chicago Tribune.
1