Evening star., 1924-02-22
.DAyyGHERTY CUSTER
DRIVE IS BRANDED
ABSURDBY ADAMS
G. O.. P. Chairman Tells
President Attorney General
Should Get Hearing.
DECLARES FOES CHARGES
ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED
Justice Department Head Refuses
to Step Out in Bitter Re-
ply to Critics.

chairman Adams Of the republican
Rational, committee declared today
that the demand for retirement of
Attorney General Daugherty with
ouf thorough investigation appeared
10 him absurd"
The chairman and other officials of
the national committee nave advised
President Coolidge that they believe
Mr.. Dausherty should ha"e i hearing
before action is taken.
we feel that the demand now for
The resignation of Mr. Daugherty,"
said Mr.. Adams, 'without hearing
ar trial and in face only of uuSup-
ported charges is absurd
Although Mr.. adams has not con-
ferred recently with the President on
the subject. his views are well known
at the White House. The matter has
been discussed informally at COM
mittee headquarters for several days
and Chairman Adams has given some
thought of issuing Il formal state
ment.
With Attorney General Daugherty
in record as being ready to carry
TO the country his fight against
efforts to force him out of the cabi-
net. negotiations proceeded in the
Senate today looking to early action
on the resolution Of Senator Wheeler,
investigation Of his administration.
- Compromise Disguised.
Attorney General Daugherty's re-
fuSai to retire from office under fire
led to an open disagreement among
republican party chiefs today as the
Senate prepared to drive home the
attack upon him.
At the same time the republican
leaders of the Senate. who believe
Mr.. Daugherty should get out at
once. agreed definitely with the dem
ocrats to place at the head of the
committee which is to investigate his
official acts, some other republican than
Senator Brookhart of Iowa. one of the
La Toilette republican insurgent group.
whose members repeatedly have attack
ed the Attorney General.
An agreement for adjournment un-
It'll tomorrow prevented presentation
of the favorable report on the
Wheeler resolution. Chairman keyes
"ill make the report tomorrow, but
action will be deferred until Mon
day because of the absence Of a num-
Der of senators from Washington.
Meantime Senator Wheeler will
Seek IN agreement with republican
leaders as to who will have the chair
manship of the investigating COM
mittee in place of Senator Brookhart.
Mr.. Daugherty's statement of lis
position was made late yesterday, in
a letter to Senator Pepper of Penn
sylvania- who. with Senator Lodge,
advised President Coolidge Wednes-
Gay to ask for the Attorney Generals
resignation. Earlier in the day it had
S4an disclosed that i report received
~ Senator Wheeler from Il special
Investigator stating that Mr. Dau2h-
erty had dealt in Sinclair oil stock
was being investigated by the oil
committee and had been placed be-
fore the President.
\ DcnOunces Charges.
The Attorney General maue no ref
ence to the Sinclair stock report in
his letter to Senator Pepper, which
was sent in response to a note ad-
dressed to him by the latter, inform
ing him of the conference with the
President He denounced as 'baseless.
scandalous and defiamatory' the
charges of my political adversaries'
in the Senate, and declared his elm
ination. voluntarily or otherwise.
would be "A confession that they were
true.
Il will never be party to such
program" he asserted asking: Am
] to be denied a right granted to
even the baSest criminal, to trial by
his peerS?"
Mr.. Daugherty sent copy of his
letter to the White House. but Of
fcials there made no comment ex-
cept to say that he had not consulted
them before he wrote it. Senator
Pepper said his note to the Attorney
General had been sent after the
White House conference, because it
occurred to him that perhaps l had
been in the position of saying some
thing about man behind his back"
and he did not regard it as one re-
quiring reply.
Attorney General Daugherty in a
letter yesterday to Senator Pepper of
ia rad =, ,irr
voluntary or otherwise" would be a
concession Of the truth Of all the
: ''baseless charges of our adversaries."
He added he never would be party
to such a proceeding.
The letter follows:
Text of Letter.
2. please accept my thanks for your
very kind note of yesterday. Your
complimentary reference to my ad-
ministration of the Department of
Justice is at this time most highly
appreciated.
Il note with amazement your sug-
gestion that my interests are not to
be decided on the basis OF Justice or
injustice. even though my honor, repu-
tation and all that l hold dear in this
world are at stake. Your expressions
of personal regard are most crafty
ing anu heeIGlS anu L am
sure that nothing will ever happen to
change our friendly relations.
Come now to the subject matter of
your letter. l am interested in your
statement that i am on the wrong
side of an issue in the mind of the
public. ] assume you have in mind
the resolution of Senator Wheeler and
his speech on the aoor of the Senate.
You have, then concluded that 1 am
ON the wrong side of an issue with
out hearing, without evidence, and
accepted as final the baseless, scan-
daIous and defamatory charges OF my
political adversaries.
otherwise will be a concession of the
truth Of all the baseless charges of
our advefsaries, and will justify them
in claiming that we have thereby ad-
mitted their truth, and such admission
will accomplish the ultimate end and
purpose most gratifying to such ad-
Versaries.
Questions Motives.
You further imply that the public
has also concluded that I am on the
wrong side of an issue, without evil
dence, on ex parte statements. and
baseless charges of those same ad-