The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-03-02
|Brookhart
Voted Head
Of = Jury"
Senate by 66 to l Vote, Au-
thorizes Sweeping Investi-
CATION of Attorney Gen.
erals Administration.
Insurgents to Run Probe
B, International >er. Service.

Washington. March Attorney
General Harry NJ. Daugherty tonight
was ordered by the senate to stand
public trial" on charges Of nialfeas-
ance In office.
BY vote Of ss to !. the senate for
mally authorizes a sweeping investi-
CATION OF Daugherty's administration
Of the Department of Justice by a
specially elected and insurgent-eon-
trolled committee of FIVE senators.
The senate's jury will be headed
by Senator Smith ". Brookhart. re-
publican OF Iowa. foe OF the admins
tration and an insurgent leader. The
other members are Senators Jones Of
Washington and Moses OF New Hamp-
shire. republicans, and Senator's Ash
hurst OF Arizona and Wheeler OF Mon
tana. democrats. All were elected BY
acclamation and without opposition.
The jury will prosecute Attorney
General Daugherty for his alleged
failure to prosecute properly. ef-
ficiently and promptly and defend all
manner Of csyil and criminal actions
wherein the government OF the United
States is interested as a party plaintiff
or defendant.
Many Surprises.
And said committee II further d.
rected 10 inquire into. investigate and
report to the senate the activities OF
the said Harry NJ. Daugherty, stfor-
ney general. and any of his assist
ants In the Department of Justice
which would in any manner tend TO
impair their efficiency as officers OF
the United States
The passage Of the resolution cc-
czsicued 3 number of surprises ser~
atorx Willis and Fess. republicans of
Ohio. who hotiy defended Daugherty.
voted for it--affer Willis had several
amendments enscfed, which inserfed
the word alleged before each charge
leveled at the attorney general.
Eilins. who cast the lone negative
vote, also opposed the election OF tho
investigation committee by acclan,a-
ton. but he was drowned out by r.
publican and democratic members. IT
was apparent the committee finally
elected was a compromise slate"
agreed upon BY republican. lnsurrsnt
and democratic leaders. This was
demonstrated when its members were
nominated. Brookhart was named by
Senator La Toilette OF Wisconsin.
leader Of the insurgents; Jones and
Moses were nominated by Senator
|Curtfs Of Kansas. republican whip.
while Ashurst and Wheeler were prc-
posced by Senator Robinson OF Ar
kansas. the democratic leader. There
were no others named and their el-c-
|fion was unanimous. save for Elkins'
shouted negative.
To Start at Once.
Senator Bnookhart said 10 rnterna-
tional News Service tonight:
We will get organized at once and
adopt plan Of procedure. We may
draft a stated set of charges against
the attorney general and an outline
of the subjects 10 be investigated
This would give the attorney general
an opportunity to know how to PRE-
pare his defense.
The hearings viii 20 forward A.
rapidly as Is commensurate with
justice. think we should he able
10 begin public hearings a few DAYS
after we are organized.
The resolutions passage ended. at
least temporarily one of the hottest
party fights in years during which
Coolidge was criticized.
The Wheeler resolution. authorix>
Ing the investigation. was passed at
ter three DAYS Of bitter partisan de-
bate. Ordinary senatorial courtesies
were flung aside or friends Of naugh-
erty hotly denounced the tactics OF
his senatorial opponents and in reply
his enemies openly charged the atfor-
ney generals friends with attempting
TO shield \ criminal" On the ra<>-
age Of the resolution. II was opposed
hv only one senator-Elkfrs. renuh-
licsn of West Virginia.
The Investigation committee viii
be organized Monday. Chairman
Ercokhart announced tonight. He
also declared >the first OF the public
sessions would be early next week.
In senate cloakrocms. 1t was re-
ported the first subject 10 be invests
gated would be charges that Dauxh-
erty failed TO prosecute violations of
the sherman antitrust law which
Were reported to him by the federal
trade commission. The attorney gen.
erai has denied the charge.
The Investigation, - ,,~is.~,sa ~
the senate. will he one Of the most
sweeping in senatorial history. IL
win range from paugherty's alleged
failure 20 reveal the Teapot Dome
scandal or to prosecute its rerpetvst.
ors. 10 charges of iaxity in rrosecut.
Ing hundreds ot widely differing crin-
inal cases, which came within the
t,,rlsil..fll,r nf ahn Dcr,a r,,nr.t ~ 1.As.