The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-02
DAUGHERTY
PROBE NOW
DEAD ISSUE
House Vote to Drop Inves.
tigation Relieves
Repubs.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.)
Washington, ID. c., June 2.-Re
publicans at both ends of Pennsyl-
yania avenue are breathing easier
today as a result of the vote of the
rules committee of the house of
representatives whereby the reso-
luton to investigate Attorney Cen
eral Daugherty's record in prose-
cutting war frauds was dropped.
The truth is the Republicans en-
barrassed themselves. 1t was by
a narrow margin that the resolu-
ton to investigate a member of
the Harding cabinet was reported
favorably and it was by the vote
of Chairman Phil Campbell, of
Kansas, Republican, that the meas
ure carried in committee. This
was tantamount to a vote of lack
OF confidence in member of the
presidents official family, for it
is most unusual for the party in
power to investigate the record of
one of its own number in the ex-
ecutive branch of the government.
"Blunder," Say Demos.
For three weeks there have been
some hectic discussions in the in
ner circle of the administration
and Mr. Campbell's vote has been
a constant subject of criticism.
Even the Democrats who are par
ticularly concerned with the prop
er conduct Of Republican politics,
have called Mr.. Campbell's action
a political blunder." They were
even more amazed however to see
Mr.. Campbell suddenly reverse
himself and vote to sQuelch the
resolution. The reasons he gave
for his change provoked the gen
eral debate, and not the actual
vote. for the Democrats are not
bit anxious to see the investiga-
ton of war matters resumed as
they feel that the Graham investi-
eating committee did all it could
to find flaws in the war record
and relatively speaking accom-
plished little.
Repubs Started 1t.
When Mr. Campbell claimed that
he was dropping the resolution to
investigate the attorney generals
record because he believed the at
tacks were inspired by the Demo
Gratis, Representative Garrett of
Tennessee, Democrat, couldn't help
pointing out that two Republicans,
Representatives Woodruff and
Johnson, startd the whole hula
baloo about Mr.. Daugherty's alleg-
ed failure TO prosecute war fraud
cases and that they were still the
ones who were loudly clamoring
for the investigation.
The Democrats say they do not
want to be in the position of op-
posing an investigation of a Re
publican attorney general nor do
they want to engage in any move
ment which means, of course, in
yestigation of Democratic officials
who were invested with RESPONSE
bility for the grant of contracts
during the war The demand for
investigation comes from within
the Republican party and there is
every reason to believe that Messrs.
Woodruff and Johnson will not be
satisfied to let the matter rest in
its present status. They will keep
after the department of justice and
insist upon it's following up the
war cases.
Speed Up Prosecutions.
1nfOrtunaLeIy IOI all CoHCel lieu,
except those guilty of wrong doing,
the prosecutions will take a long
time Some of the cases will take
year or more to prepare They
require the help of technical ex-
perts and accountants who are IA
miliar with corporation books OF
every complexity. Indictments
will be quickly secured but that
will not be significant for the con-
yictions alone tell the story or et-
fective prosecution.
Whatever object Messrs. WOOD
ruff and Johnson hoped to achieve
by investigating Mr.. Daugherty' s
conduct of war cases thus far the
probability is that they have al
fected the situation already by
Stimulating offices Of the depart
ment of justice to carry on a vigor-
Gus prosecution of war cases that
have been dragging for the last
three years