Evening star., 1913-02-11
Says Witnesses Were Prejudiced.

against it.
Says Witnesses Were Prejudiced.
'Messrs. Stellwagen, Bell and Hoover
came here with prejudice, graded in the
order named he added. "And after
them came Mr.. Glover
This committee doesn't need to be en-
lightened as to Mr.. SteIlwagen's conduct
or state Of mind. He was the first man
to question the appraisal Of the Southern
building. I will not say in an ofYt nsive
way that it was none Of his business. yet
think | could do SO with perfect aScu-
racE. 1t may be that he Is the self-con-
stituted censor Of the morals Of this COM
munity. What right did he have to go
to the Commissioner and say that this
piece OF real estate is too highly assessed.
There was nothing high minded about it.
lie was impelled by several motives
Mr.. Douglas sad Mr.. Stellwagen was
surance companies against Thomas J.
Fisher & Co. Following this he brought
out delicately the business and personal
relations between Messrs. Bell. Stell-
wagon and Jordan. Mr.. Douglas claimed
that nothing but business jealousy and
prejudice had prompted the assailants of
the insurance companies
Dwells on "Esta blished Facts"
Mr.. Douglas dMelt particularly on "the
established facts in the matter Of real
estate values. He pointed out that prop
erty all around the Southern building
has been sold at high figures.
Take the case of the Blackstone cor
ner at 14th and Fl Streets said Mr..
Douglas, sold three years ago by Mr.
Hoover, who comes here after his RIP
Van Wrinkle sleep and places a va!ua-
| ton on the property on the basis or
what happened three years ago. He DID
hoe hGHfl RI n
| in that time.
Resents Congressional Inquiry.
| Mr.. Douglas, opening his argu-
ment last night. started out to prove that
Congress has no power to inquire into the
private affairs Of citizens. large crowd
had gathered to hear him, and the at
torney's eloquence was at its best.
! Our opinion is that Congress has no
power TO inquire into the private affairs
OF a private citizen unrelated to pending
legislation," he said. 1T has its func-
tons as ii grand jury in cases Of inn
! functions are for legislation only-and
| the Supreme Court has recided it so in
many cases.
| Bringing into the case Kinds prece-
dents. the guide book Of the House, Mr..
Douglas said that he could find nothing
that showed anything to the contrary.
There is nothing to show this COM
mittee has the power to examine into the
papers and books of the insurance com
panies, or into anything mentioned In the
resolution .sycert the superintendent Of
| insurance.
Cites John Quincy Adams.
He cited John Quincy Adams as say
| ing in one vital period of the country S
history when the national banks were
| causing trouble. that the government had
no power to investigate except those
banks holding government funds. He
said that banks which refused to answer
questions at that time were not cited for
contempt. He also mentioned a case
where Leland Stanford. In congressional
| inquiry, had refused to answer queS-
| tion, and was eventually upheld by JUS
tice Field Of tie Supreme Court.
| This question has been decided in two
famous cases In the Supreme Court" he
continued. One was the famous Chap
man case. where the inquiry was to find
out whether certain members Of Con-
grcss had protited In certain sugar stocks.
Chapmen. broker. refused to answer a
question as to who was buying through
his Office. He was cited for contempt.
He sued out a writ of habees corpus. and
| in the court of 1aSt resort was upheld. 1t
was said that Congress could inquire OF
its own members as to their conduct: but
not a step farther.
| Mr.. Douglas called the case OF Kill
| bourn VS.. Thompson the best illustration
OF his argument. Kibourn was asked
to tell who constituted a certain real
estate rule. and in refusinS-got himself
in Jail. and after getting out on a habeas
| corpus. the Supreme Court decided that
even though the United States was In
| yolved. the House had no right to go
into the personal affairs OF individuals,
because no legislation was pending: and
that the courts were alwa"s open fol
I liUgants
Law Must Be Obeyed.
Mr.. Douglas also said that no matter
how broad the resolution to investigate
the insurance companies is. it must be
assumed that the House knew its duties
and powers and that the law must be OBJ
served in following out and interpreting