Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1919-12-26

mentS-lf VIII ii. Hays and Senator
Penrose can prevent it.
The investigating committee OF the
house which sent junketing parties
all over the United States and over
flowed to France has proved a great
disappointment to leading Republic
ans, who expected to get lot of cam
paign thunder out of that particular
activity. 1t is now realibe dthat near
ly million dollars of the peoples
money has been spent in efforts to
make mountains out of mole hills.
The Graham smelling outfit has dug
up just what everybody knew was to
be found for the digging-eXtrava
gance. The prosecutors of the war
cOncede great sums of money were
spent but they explain that they saved
time and lives in speeding up. 1t was
"a plain case of human lives against
dollars. The administration let the
dollars go and saved the fighting boys.
The war was brought to quick and
successful end and all the efforts of
the Republican investigators have
failed to show any graft" on the
part of any group attached to the adj
ministration. There were minor indi-
none of them stick in the mind long.
Having worked in vain for six
months Republican probers made
report that reflects on business men
throughout the country in the settle
ment of war contracts. In broad
side business enterprises which helped
to win the war are libeled
A preliminary report of the COM
mittee, made just before the extra
session adjourned, reflects on bust
ness men generally. The press of the
country has thrown cold water on
the Investigations from the start,
knowing they were partisan.
Senator Boies Penrose, the boss"
of the SiXty-siXth congress. is i'll at
his home in Philadelphia. His friends
here are worried lest he will not be
here to guide his party in the present
session of congress. The leaders OF
the senate and house are afraid to
move without advice.
During the extra session OF con-
gress Representative Fordney, chair
man of the house committee on ways
and means, in which all revenue
measures originate, prepared and
passed a number of bills to protect
new industries tina sprung up during
the war. He was enthusiastic ami
aggressive in his work.
The tariff mill was grinding rapid
ly and turning out much Republican
grist but of sudden the Big Chief
--Boies Penrose-who had been at
home fixing" political and personal
fences reappeared in the capital. and
passed out the word that he would
not stand for the 'pop-gun" tariff
bills.
At first house leaders thought
Senator Penrose was Joking, but be-
fore long they realized that his heavy
hand was on their backs. All efforts
at tariff legislation was stopped
short. Senator Penrose, with his
great power and sway, won over
Representative Fordney.
There was one exception to all of
this slaughter of Republican hopes.
A group of dyestuffs manufacturers,
fearing that the German dye output
would food this country and break
up their infant industries, fostered
by the country during the war, hur-
ried to Washington and laid the mat
ter before the boss" In the party
were Pennsylvanians - constituents
supporters of Penrose.
The house was ready to quit The
stage was set for the falling of the
curtain. Senator Penrose insisted on
the adoption of a resolution protect