Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-02-12
Friday MOrninR"...Februar IL. 1892
Reckless Attacks.

The disastrous experience of Secretary
OF Agriculture Hyde resulting from his
amazing accusation that Woodrow Wilson
and two of his former Secretaries Of the
Treasury-Wm. G. McAdco and Carter
Glass-had made loans to foreign countries
without legal authority" and after the
war was ended" ought to be salutary
lesson to all of the administr alton spokes-
men who seek to defend President Hoover
BY making reckless counter attacks upon
those who have criticised the Chief Execu-
tive's administration of national affairs,
without impuenins his personal integrity.
1t was only necessary for Senator Glass
to cite the authority given the executive
branch OF the Government by the Liberty
Loan Acts to make loans for the national
defense, and the further fact that this
authority was extended to the termination
of the war to be evidenced by official proc
lamation OF the President. in order to refute
the accusation Of the Secretary of Agricul-
ture. But Senator Glass went further and pre-
scented other documentary evidence, includ-
Ah6 WV hOhi OCStCNohy uChOHs GOulNu-
ing the Senator's Interpretation Of the law
But Mr.. Hyde, of whom it has been said,
that he qualified for the Office of Secretary
of Agriculture by selling Ford cars to farm
ers, apparently was not satisfied with the
erueling punishment he had received in his
first round with the Senator from Virginia,
and came back for more, citing what puI-
ported 10 be a resume of the law, and its
Interpretation, but which Senator Glass
showed was prepared by the clerk Of a
Senator and which omitted the vital section
of the law which declared that the termi-
nation of the war shall be fixed by procla-
nation of the President of the United
States"
1t is this clerks paper, Senator Glass
said. that the Secretary OF Agriculture
Vainly invokes to extricute himself from
the charge of having wantonly aspessed
dead President and maigned two of his
surviving Cabinet officers"
Senator Glass final thrust-the coupe de
grace-so to speak, was worthy of the
master swordsman, Cyrano de Berger &C.
Having stated that he realized "how fruit
less it is to engage in a controversy with
some people. he recited Henry Arthur
Jones story of his futile effort to carry on
a discussion with dull person, and dis
covered that his opponents head was
turnip" AS old Bishop John Early of
Virginia used to say" Senator Glass COM
mnnfa0 efha Canafn mn ho nh
logy and mark the application.
Whether Mr.. Hyde's experience in making
reckless charges, and the complete annihi-
lation of his accusation, not to mention the
humiliation most public men would fee,
if they received such castieation, will
restrain other administration spokesman
from making reckl,s partisan accusations
against political opponents remains to be
seen. Mr.. Hydes case indicates that il
would not
1.-THE Secretary Of Agriculture had profted
by the apparent silencing Of Mr.. Lucas.
Executive dire ctor of the Republican Ma
tional Committee, after the lalter's reckless
and absurd attempt to fasten responsibility
for the scandal books concerning Mr..
Hoover's early career upon the Democratic
organization. he would have been spared
this sad experience. which practically de-
stroys any effectiveness he might otherwise
have as defender of the administration
of which he is part and of which he is now
such sorry figure.
The incident is all the more unaccount-
able and inexcusable, coming as it does at
a time when Democratic House and the
Democratic members of the Senate are
helpfully cooperating with the national
administration to enact legislation designed
to relieve the depression and mitigate the
effect of the economic cataStophe.