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Show SEN. SMOOT HAS I AX OUT FOR SHERMAN I Not long since in Washington. Sena- I tor Reed Smoot made the statement ll that Forester E A. Sherman and jj beads of departments of the forest : service in this city had exercised un- H warranted Influence in the campaign of last fall in the interests of the Pro igresslve party, and the statement was conveyed to the ears of Forester Hen ry S. Graves. I. It is against the rules of the forest L -: department for men engaged in the l Ben iee to become actively identified If. v ith politics, and the service is ex- pecte'd at all times to be kept entirely free from political Influence. This be- I ing true. Forester Graves requested F W. B Greeley, assistant forester in the silviculture department, when making his trip of inspection In the , went, to inquire as In Utah as to the L Charges made by the senator. This liM Mr (Jreeley did a few days ago He visited the leaders of the political 1 parties in Ogden and Salt Lake, spend-Ing spend-Ing much time with the orthodox Re- I I public;ms of Salt Lake He also met the party leaders In Ogden. , When Mr. Greeley conlerred with C. J. S. Abels, county chairman of j the Progressive party in Weber coun- j ty, he was advised that the chairman j did not know Mr Sherman nor any nl the men connected with the service I and that the forest department em- j ployes had not been known in any wq . I as a political factor In the campaign. They had never contributed any mon-ej mon-ej nnr rendered any service, and It was questionable with the chairman whether anv of them had ever a j tended a Bull Moose rally Mr Abels Btated further that there surely was DO foundation for the report that Mr I Sherman openly had been Identified with any political party In this city. ! Other information of a like nature I ' was given Mr Greeley and he learned I that the forest service department men bad been attending strictly to the business affairs of this division of the forest service, unheeding political contentions. Even the Smoot advo- j cates of Salt Lake could not point to a single overt act on the part of Mr. Sherman that would lead one to con-elude con-elude that the forester was Interested in politics Mr Sherman says that he courts a j full Investigation, as his office is i I public trust and the greater the scru-tiny scru-tiny that may be given his actions as I a public servant the better it will be for the service, and all the men engaged en-gaged In it He always has kept aloof from political contention, not even in-dullng in-dullng In his individual expression of ( political belief. 1 ! i have no Information to give with j regard to the matter," said Mr Sher-man Sher-man when questioned by a represents- tive Of the Standard "I have been advised by local newspaper reporters that Assistant Forester Greeley re-fused re-fused to make any statement for publication, pub-lication, and, since he is my official superior, it would be unbecoming in me to assump to discuss an affair which the forester has placed In his 1 hands i do wish, however, to say that the I district office of the forest service In all its branches Invites the most searching investigation I am confident confi-dent that the more closely our work f is Inquired into, the more clearly it will he seen to merit both public and official approval " |