Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-04-20

What the facts are in the controver-
sy between the Riggs National bank of
Washington, and Messrs. McAdoo and
Williams, we do not know; but our
sympathy as well as u faith are with
the treasury officials. We carnot con-
ceive Of the idea that Messrs. McAdoo
and Williams are such idiots, not to
say scoundrels, as the bank would
make them out to be. If these officials
are what the bank says they are, we
sincerely hope they will get what is
coming to them. AS between rascals,
we have no preference. 1t is the truth
we want, and we want the truth re-
CARELESS Of who it helps OF hurts. AS
to whether the truth will overcome out
in this case remains to be seen; but
if it does come out, it will prove big
ger than either the bank or its officials,
or the officials Of the treasury depart
ment. AS we have said, we do not
know about the facts in this matter;
but in view of what has developed In
the past, no one need be surprised at
happenings. That in all the days
gone bye, various Washington banks
may have been the recipients Of more
or less favor at the hands of different
treasury and other government offici-
ais we do not doubt. For instance, all
those millions and millions of money
that lay in the treasury department
and all that power vested in depart
mental heads, are sources Of potency
almost beyond comprehension. There
have been those who could If they
wanted to be, of great service to Wash
ington banks. They could put In these
banks millions Of government money
ever without hurting anybody, and
these millions could be used with tre-
mendouS profit to these banks. The
thing could be done honestly and IT
could be done dishonesty. If an Of
fetal with power desired to benefit
from an operation of this kind, he
would only have to let it be known to
the bank officials he had favored that
he desired n loan, OF even a gift, and
if he did not get what he wanted from
that bank, he could find one that he
could get it from. And If the bank
came across in such a matter it would
be on the same basis as the official or
oticials-rascals all around. Now In
the case Of a little transaction like
this: when everybody kept their
mouths shut and everything came out
all right, there are those who would
say 1T was all right" This Riggs Ma
tional bank has been doing business in
Washington a long time during the as
cedancy Of various political parties,
and under the administration of vari
Gus officials Of different shades of
character. If there had been opportu-
mites Of the kind suggested, the bank
has no doubt had h refusal of them
II may have been wise, prudent and
righteous and kept away from al
the other hand, Messrs. McAdoo and
Williams have not been in Washing
ton a great while. Both are compare
lively new to the administration OF
public official power. But no one
| should get the idea hat either Of these
gentlemen are strangers to large af-
fairs or to the ways of the world-not
them. MIR. McAdOO has been connect
ed with some of the largest engineer
ing achievements the world has ever
known, including the building of the
Hudson river tunnel, and other things
that would make the entire capital of
the Riggs National bank look like thir-
~ cents. Mr.. Williams is the man
who made the Seaboard Air Line rail
road system, and he did it in a single
handed game of finance with the
strongest and ablest financiers of