Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-22
PARTISAN POLITICS
IN "[EAK' INQUIRY
Skillfully Executed Movement
Designed to Involve Will
son Administration.
MANN ENGINEERS FORCES
Democrats Prepared to Meet
Issue and Go Through With
Investigation.
MANN ENGINEERS FORCE
Especial to The Times Dispatch. J

fully watched the developments in the
Teak" investigation that it is nothing
more or less than an organized and
skillfully executed piece OF partisan
politics designed To Involve the pres
cnt Democratic administrations
AT the outset this was not so ap-
parent. It seemed TO be only q noisy
cIamor on the part Of :: small group
OF House Republicans for an inquiry
that would embarrass the Democratic
members of the House Rules Commit
tee and provide a field day for indi-
vidual oratorical flights And in the
beginning. there were reasons for be-
ieving that the partisan conspiracy
proceeded no further than that.
But now the whole truth about tho
leak Juror has come out. and this re-
rcals the fact tha, the later pro-
ceedings have been engineered by the
Republican leaders Of tn. House. gen
cralcd by Minority Leader James r.
Mann himself and TO some extent sup
ported by certain minority members
of the Senate.
Every move that has been made
since tho Democratic majority of the
Rules Committee recommended an
abandonment OF the inquiry. on the
ground that not a scintilla OF evidence
worthy OF the name had been given
TO support the charges made by Rep
rescntativcs Wood and Gardner. has
been directed by Mr.. Mann and his i'm
mediate licutenants
SOME OF MANN'S FRIENDS
REMONSTRATE WITH MN
II is known moreover. tha, certain
OF Mr. Manns friends haze rcmon-
a
tho time In very recent history when
his own party WAS in l.agu" with Wall
Street and stock Exchange interests
and insisting thar the presen, probe
has in it possibsli,ics Of reaction which
VIII dcfca, the v"ry objects Of tho
Republican game"
TO all such rcin"nstTances MIR. Mann
is quoted as saying that he believes
Lawson actually knows something.
and II the stage can bc properly set
that testimony gravcly damaging to
the Democratic administration will be
brought out. Furthermore. Mr.. Mann
believes that as louu as officials OF the
administration can he kept on tho de-
icnsivc. that IS. .5eDt busy issuing
sweeping dcnials ot this or that. that
tic country eventually Viii concIud.
that where there * 50 much smoke
there must he ~ least some ire
1t has been repeatedly stated, too
that Mr.. Wood did not Introduce his
original resolution without consulta-
'ion with some elder and more expert
cnced members Of his own party In
the House. /, mas even been intima ed
that Some Of these Republicans put
Wood up 10 doing u job which they
themselves hcsitated to initiate. after
assuring him of the fullcs, support.
Whether this is true. or only half true.
the fact remains that Immediately
after the Wood resolution was offered
Gardner and others rushed in with
corroboraiinG evidence" ana with
prolonged applause" for the Ind-
anian's courage
The fact also has come uut that
when tho majority ot the Rules Com
m,tee went to the House with an un-
favorable report on the Wood reSoIu-
tion. many Republicans were inclined
TO vote with them, but that Mann took
charge of the situation on tho floor
controlled the time Of tho Republicans
In the debate aud rallied his people
for stand against The committee.
which resulted in roconnittinG the
whole affair for further investigation.
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