r publicity given to
them, and was desirous that Mr. Windom should not allow the report
to get into the public prints. I, therefore, on the 14th of October,
offered in the Senate this resolution:

"_Resolved_, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed
to transmit to the Senate a copy of the report of James F. Meline
and others, made to the treasury department during the recess of
the Senate, and of any papers received by him based upon such
report."

In offering the resolution, after reading the article in the
"Commercial Advertiser," I said:

"The writer of this paragraph is very much mistaken in supposing
that I have in any way sought or wished to withhold from the public
the report referred to. I neither have nor will I oppose or delay
any investigation of the treasury department while I was its chief
officer. The only wish I have is to see that every officer accused
of improper conduct shall have a fair chance to defend himself,
and then he must stand or fall according to the rectitude or wrong
of his conduct.

"The only doubt I have in calling for this report now is the fact
that Mr. Windom did not order its publication lest injustice might
be done to worthy and faithful officers who had no opportunity to
cross-examine witnesses or answer charges made against them. I
have no doubt that he either has given or will give them this
opportunity. At all events the Senate can do so. I, therefore,
offer this resolution and hope the Senate will promptly pass it."

Mr. Edmunds objected to the resolution as being unnecessary, and
under the rules of the Senate it went over. I called it up on the
18th of October, when Mr. Farley, of California, asked that it be
postponed a few days. On the 22nd I again called it up, when Mr.
Farley stated that he could not see what Congress had to do with
the report of such a commission appointed by the Secretary of the
Treasury, and asked me for an explanation. In reply I said:

"I stated, on introducing this resolution, that the investigation
was one of a character not usually communicated to Congress, but
that certain public prints had contained unfounded imputations
against several officers of the government, and that there was
something in the report which reflected on a Member of this body
formerly a cabinet officer. Under the circumstances, as I was
plainly the person referred to, having been Secretary of the Treasury
at the time stated, I deemed it my righ