The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-23
INDIGNANT
Mr.. COOPER.
The President Comes in for Severe
Criticisms.
THE TENAs CONGRESSMAN EN-
PRESSES HIMSELF VERY FORCE
bly, REGARDING THE PRE6I-
DENTS VETO OF THE TEXAs
JUDICIAL DISTRICT BILL-MR.
GRosvENoR, Or OHIO, JOINS IN
WITH a VIGOROUS CRITICISM.

Washington, Jan. 22.-This was pri-
vate bill day, and there was little OF pub
lie interest done in the House.
Mr. Cooper, of Texas, called up and the
House passed over the Presidents veto
the bill! to establish IL new division of the
| Eastern judicial district of Texas. The
| feature of the debate on this matter was
Il caustic criticism by Mr.. Grosvenor of
| Ohio, upon the executive order which de-
| ieS Senator'S.
y bill was passed authorizing the Gal
weston railroad to build Il railroad through
Indian Territory.
1t was voted to adjourn over from t.
day until Monday next
At . O'Clock the House took the usual
recess for the consideration of private
pension bills.
When Mr.. Cooper called up the Texas
JUDICIAL district bill he explained that in
the consideration of the bill neither he or
any member of the committee had ever
heard an objection to the bill He made
several attempts to see the President
while the bill was before him, in order to
set forth the reasons why the bill should
become Il LAW and to meet the objections
which the court officers were saih to have
made, but which had never been pre-
sented to him. In all these attempts he
was unsuccessful, the secretary Of the
President, who holds the key to the door
! by which members of Congress are adj
mitted to the President, denying him the
| right as representative to see the eXecu-
| tive.
On the occasion of his last visit, Mr..
Cooper said, he had Just been informed
that the bill had been returned to the
President by the Department Of Jus tice
tolI l, Mt FL.
dent had not acted on the bill, but when
Cooper told him the bin had been sent
over from the Department. of Justice, the
secretary made inquiry and replied that
the President had acted upon the bill and
had veto message prepared.
Then, Mr.. Cooper said, he again asked
| for Il personal interview with the presi-
dent that he might press the reasons why
| the bill should become law but the
secretary refused him access, saying that
the President had made up his mind and
| that it would he useless to see him. In
view OF these facts Mr.. Cooper said the
reasons advanced by the President were
no reason and asked the House to pass
the bill over the veto.
Mr.. Grosvenor said from remarks made
by Mr.. Cooper he inferred that that gen.
tleman had experienced some difficulty in
seeing the President. 1t was unfortunate
for the American people that for three
years past few self respecting representa-,
tives of IL respectable constituency would
make any effort TO see the President. He
had issued an order that no Senator or
Representative should see him in person
until he had bowed before II private sec
rotary and had received for his errand the
sanction of that parsonage.
AT that time" continued Mr.. Gros-
venor, 81 was III the midst of matter
connected in the WAY of my official rela-
tions with the President, and I would
never again seek to see the President of
the United States under the present adj
ministration, and have kept my word.
My constituents never commissioned me
to percolate my business with the execu-
tive through the clay of Il private secre-
tary. 1t was unfortunate that the Pr esi-
dent excluded himself from Congress. He
surrounds himself with Il skirnish line
of moderate capacity and keeps himself
away from lis. condemn myself for not
having expressed these views two years
ago when. if they had been carefully con.
sidered by the parties in interest there
might now be two or three friends of the
President in Congress.
Mr.. Dalzell, pa.-It will he better in
the next administration.
hr' TrcSNeHor-l can speak Tor that,
hut may express the hope that never
again will there he an IL ADMINISTRATION that
will refuse access to the representatives
of the people. The people are greater
than the President.
Mr.. Richardson, Democrat.-I suppose
the gentleman speaks as I'm advance agent
of the new administration? Naughter)
Mr.. Grosvcnor.-I sam tthe advance
agent about as much as the gentleman
from Tennessee was the agent of his
party in that unfortunate affair. (Rencw-
ed laughter).
Addressing himself to the merits of the
bill he said that if the President told the
truth i'll his message about the condition
of affairs in Texas the bill ought not to
pass
The bill passed, l44 to Is. more than
two-thirds voting in the affirmative