The Washington times., 1913-01-25
ON ROCK CREEK PARK PLANS
Cros. Injustice Was Done Him, the
Banker Declares.
President of Riggs National Quotes at
Length From Records to Prove That
He Sought Not One Penny of Per
sonal Proft-worked Solely for the
citys welfare-Elaborates on Testi-
mouy Before Insurance Committee.

Charles C. Glover, president OF the
Riggs National Bank, made pubic tne
following statement qast n1sn!, IN re-
sponse to the charges made by Repre-
sentative sims of Tennessee on the
floor of the House of Representatives,
on January Is:
Instead of admitting In frank and
manly way, that would have done nun
honor while doing me justice, that ne
was entirely wrong in his attack on me
IN fhe House of Representatives on
March, Z, 1903, to which I replied before
the insurance investigating committee
on December 30. 1872. just, after It had
been brought for the first time to my
attention, Representative Sims Of Ten
nesee las made another r.unwarranfabie
speech about me in the House. on the
18th of the present month. A reply Is
necessary, because his latest speech is
even worse than his former one, since
he can no longer pretend to be Ignorant
of the facts, and because byinsinuation
he makes a worse charge than he made
before. 1t is true that a careful read
ing of his latest speech, in the light of
the record, shows that he had to admit
that his former statements. were un-
true. But this admission is obscured
by. other misstatements. and by an in
nuendo which goes beyond anything he
said before in its falsity and malice
Agrees With Two Statements.
With two statements of his speech of
January L. 1918, ! agree. The first is
(pase 1876 Congressional Record:
! want to say. Mr.. Speaker, that
any member of this House who In
debate on the floor of the House
makes a false statement about what
10 pertinent to be considered at the
time and misleads the members of
the House and causes them to vote
otherwise than they would ought to
be expelled. No such man has any
business in this house.
That is exactly right
The second is in part Of the next para
graph, on the same page, as follows:
1 am aware that members of the
House, under the privileges of this !
House. can get up and denounce in
dfviduals and make derogatory state
ments about men, and under the law
they can be neld responsible for It
nowhere else. Consequently, do not
think II is a manifestation of great
moral or physical courage to get up
here and denounce individuals, when
You cannot be called to account for
Out of his own mouth in these state
ments Mr.. Sims stands convicted of
conduct justifying his expulsion and of
moral cowardice.
Recalls Speech of March 8, 1909.
1t will be remembered that the sub
stance of Mr.. Sims charge on March 3,
1853. which SO misled the House that II
defeated the bill that would have added
1oc acres to Rock Creek park at a low
cost to the Government. was tnat ]. hav-
ing secured options upon that land, had
offered IL first at $500, CO., then at $50, 900,
and finally at sfS5 600. with the impIica-
ton that i had tried to cheat the Gov
ernment- He distinctly made these as
eertions. Confronted by the facts in my
recent statement before the insurance
investigating committee. he now grudg
ingiy and obscurely admits that he was
wrong, but says he was misled by the
statement OF another member in the de-
bate. who read from a report of the
District Commissioners on another park
project Chat of Meridian HID and ap-
rjied II to the Rock Creek addition
Although, as the Congressional Record
shows his remarks of March 3 were
made in the afternoon of that day. he
further excuses himself by saying that
they were made in the fatigue and con-
fusion of a midnight session.
But he has gone further In his speech
of January Is, 1913 in which (page bIS.
Congressional Record, In speaking OF
the land I'm question, and after misquot-
ing me as saying that In 1908 II was
wort sll. 200 an acre (Which 1 never said),
he says:
Quotes Sims Speech.
At what he swears was then the
vaIue-over sl1,oo0 an acre-he would
make nearly. IL not quite. 100000.
Now. IL that language was true.
and he says that II was and swears
to IL, the assessment shows that II
he could have exercised his option,
paid for Il, and could have given
the Government more than half of II,
he would have made big profit out
Of the balance.
He let II 20 back to those who held
the property or the option or con-
tract on It.
This is the insinuation, the innuendo,
20 which ] have referred.
Now. this and every other material
statement on the subject by Mr.. Sims,
was made Gas he says. page l516. Con-
gressional Record, in his latest speech)
when the matter had been before
the House so often that the subject
was very well understood by MEM
bers who had been in the House
when bills for the same purpose
had formerly been considered, and
they knew perfectly well what was
referred TO.
And, in addition. he had on January
IS, 1913. the truth as It was fully stated
In my recent statement before this COM
mittee.
Says Truth Is On Record.
Fortunately. this truth IS OF record.
did not have the records or even a
memorandum OF them with me when on
the spur of the moment ! made my
former statement, but they have always
been accessible to Mr. Sims and every
other member of Congress since the
project was first brought up.
The foundation document Is, of course,
the contract for an option which l Sc
cured, wholly in the public interest. and
IN order that the Government might
get the property at a low price on an
advancing market There were three
separate options, given by three differ
ent sets of trustees, all on the same
terms. and. therefore. quote only from
that covering the greater part of the
tract namely, the eighty-eight acres
known as the Thompson Syndicate"
This contract dated March 9. 1906. be-
tween til. trustees Of that. syndicate and
Charles c. Glover. says:
Extract From Contract.