Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-01

A. Maurice Low, Washington CORE
spondent. reviews In Harper's Weekly
the inception. progress and farcical re-
suits Of the investigations OF government
affairs undertaken by the democratic
majority in the house of Representatives
and presents a near view of shattered
party hopes. In part, he says:
When the democrats obtained control
OF the house last year they were obsessed
with the Idea that millions were to be
made. politically speaking. II they could
get a look at the books. The mother
lode Of republican rascality was still
rich In high-grade ore. and it only
needed picks and shovels in the hands
OF Ged-fearing democrats to bring these
riches to the surface to the glory OF
democracy and the discontinue Of re-
puoiieanism. At once there was a STAN.
pede for this new Klondike. No man
Jagged behind when political fortune
might be won by lucky strike. The
democrats were seized with a mad pas
sion for investigating. forget how
many investigating committees were at
work at one time. but the number Is
not material Everything high and low
was to be probed. All the sins and
iniquities that had accumulated for the
last sixteen years were to be dragged
out OF their hiding places and put on
public exhibition. There was to be such
an effective house-cleaning that fac
tories would have to run overtime IN
supply vacuum cleaners, and with the
demand for whltewash the price would
rise and another complication would be
added to the high cost of living. Many
were the hints Of what would hannah.
On the house side of the capitol m.
democrats wrapped themselves in an air
OF mystery as easily as the hero Of a
French detective story puts on a wig
and the inevitable blouse and defies the
detection OF his wife and seven children
while several million Americans waited
with ill-concealed Impotence for the
plot to thicken and the Williams IN he
brought to justice.
49,
the investigations have SO far been
trivial. The most important. that of the
special committee to investigate the steel
trust. has spent good deal OF the public
money and has afforded an Opportunity
for Mr.. Roosevelt to explain why he Al.
lowed the United States Steel CORPORA.
uon to absorb the Tennessee Coal and
Iron company. which added nothing To
the sum OF human knowledge and en-
aoled Mr.. Carnegie TO enjoy himself IN
his own peculiar way In talking about
himself. which Is one of his favorite ton
les, and his early struggles, which is on.
pertaining but no longer new. All that
Mr.. Carnegie told the committee has long
been known. SO that It can hardly be
said that the committee with the assist
ance OF Mr.. Carnegie. discovered unsus-
pected sources Of information. Other
witnesses have been equally as dIscursIve
and equally as eniighttAning; nor has the
committee always shown intelligence in
seeking for knowledge. For instance. a
week or so ago the committee devoted
several hours listening to Louis d. Bran.
deis, Boston lawyer. Mr.. Brande,,
simply repeated what impartial and
trained government investigators long ago
made public and whose statements are
necessarily more authoritative than the
mere hearsay belief OF an outsider. In
TACT. much OF the time OF the committee
has been wasted and very little of II has
been put TO profitable use. The one sen.
sational episode that has come out OF an
investigation that has dragged along for
months was sharp difference OF opinion
among some Of the democratic members
OF the committee as to the manner in
which the investigation should DO con.
Quoted, which led Representative Martin
Littleton, democatic member OF the
to turn the house OF repre-
sentatiYes into a laundry and wash some
Of the party linen In public.
There 10 certain seriousness connected
with the steel investigation, but the work
Of some OF the other committees has been
simply farcical. There was, for instance,
an attempt to create a great scandal be-
cause portrait Of former secretary Of
state had been charged to the secret sery.
Ice fund of the State department instead
d the contingent fund. Admittedly this
was an improper transaction and II may
also be conceded that the investigation
revealed good deal OF iaxness in the
system Of bookkeeping IN the State de-
partment. but that is the worst that can
be said. There was an attempt made AT