Evening star., 1926-06-01
LEWIS DESCRIBES
....RES|GNAT|0N PLEA
8 N.S
Former Tariff Commissioner
Says Coolidge Was Irrl-
tated at Refusal.
By the Associated Press.

BY tho Associated Press.
Former Commissioner David j.
Lewis of Maryland gave the Senate
tariff investigating committee To-Day
his own account of the circums;& nces
surrounding his reappointment TO tne
Tariff Commission and the request
that he give President Coolidge in al
vance a blanket resignation. to De
used at the pleasure of the NElte
House.
The incident has been cited by those
charging political manipulation Withih
the commission and formed the haSiS
of addresses in the Senate. In wAich
the administration tariff Eohf'"S
were assailed, particularly by Senator
Norris, Republican, Nebraska
Mr.. Lewis said that on SEPTEMBER
S. 1924. the day before his comnl'Ss'"h
expired. Commissioner tuibcftso''
called him to his office and told him
he had lust returned from the White
House and President Coolidge intend
ed TO reappoint him, but wanted h.i'l
first to sign an undated letter OF
resignation to be used at the fresi'
dents pleasure.
Criticized Coolidge Request.
Il was almost durfounGed ana
talked with Culbertson rather critical
IL about the request" he added. IN
dignaton followed surprise. Cu!bert-
son expressed sympathy with my
view
He told me the President wanted
to talk with me. | went to the White
House at 5 o'clock. The President
greeted me very cordially and said he
was going to reappoint me. He
reached over and picked up the COM
mission and started to sign it.
About halfway through his sigma
ture he stopped and asked me II |
brought that letter. I said no. The
President appeared irritated and then
signed it. saying. 1t doesn't matter;
YOU will hold office only at my pleas
ure in any event
Il told him e he would hear my
reasons for not signing it he might
agree with my view.
oh, no. I wouldn't, the Presi-
dent replied.
Offered to Step Out.
Seeing that he was irritated l told
him that no one knew of his signing
the commission and l told him to
destroy it if he did not care TO re.
appoint me. The President refused
to do it. saying he had no intention
of using the letter if he had obtained
it. but that if they should come to
the parting of the ways their separa-
tion would have been made easier.
President Coolidge asked Chairman
Marvin to delay the sugar report. Mr..
Lewis stated. as the chairman tried
to weasel OUT of going ahead with
II.
"A man can weasel once, but he
can't weasel always" he added.
There has been too much weaseling
anyway"
Turning to what he said was the
pathology Of the Tariff Commission. -
Mr.. Lewis said instead OF thescommis-
sion standing out independently and
free from influences. Two members
Of the commission were recruited from
the sugar lobby"
Members Of the commission. he said,
frustrated the law and obstructed
public hearings by the commission"
Replying TO the charges of Culbert-
son of the Tariff Commission that he
had violated condolences by exposing
Culbertson's letters and papers, Com
missioner Costigan told the Senate in
vestigating committee today that the
documents were not intended to be
confidential and that his sole purpose
in offering them as evidence was TO
retain the truth"
A letter put into the record pre-
viously, written by Culbertson from
Rumania. criticized President Cool
idge's action in appointing Commits
sioner Brossard, whom Culbertson
said had been associated with the
sugar lobby"
Mr.. Costigan said today he had
learned what Mr.. Culbertson was GO
ing TO tell the committee "a hours
before he appeared recently and that
he was shocked"
"In looking through my papers for
something to offset Mr.. Culbertson's
self stulitication l came across the
Bucharest letter and put it in evi.
dence for the public interest,"" he de.
clared. Il would have been gravelv
at fault If L had withheld the letter.