The times., 1898-06-01
Senator Lodge Makes a Vigorous
Protest Against Gag Law.
NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK
An Attempt to Discuss His Ha-
waitan Annexation Amendment
Meets With Defeat and the Sub
ject Is Barred From Public Com
siderati0n.

cupled the largest portion of the time of
the Senate yesterday.
The amendment proposed by Mr.. Lodge
on Friday last, making Hawaiian annex
alton rider on the war revenue bill, has
caused the opponents of that proposition
some concern, and when that senator be-
gan addressing the Senate yesterday, ne
was speedily warned that any attempt
mis- part to preclpitate an open discussion
of that question would meet with a
prompt demand for a secret session. He
had spoken but thirty minutes when Mr.
Turpe called for a secret legislative ses-
sion. and the call receiving a second, the
chairman ordered that the galleries be
cleared. and three hours were consumed
in discussing the matter in secret.
Immediately after the morning business
Mr.. Mason took the floor and offered an
amendment to the war revenue bill 10
provide against the adulteration of -four.
He declared that from 75 to 50 per cent
of the flour sold in the market today was
adulterated with ground rock and white
clay. besides a preparation of glucose.
His amendment provides for license 10
make this adulteratlon. and also that it
shall be stamped the same as oleomar-
gerine.
Mr. Lodge then took the floor and spoke
as follows:
"As l have no desire to speak behind
closed doors, I shall not call up the
amendment which / offered last Friday.
! had intended TO use 1t as an illustration,
but / will dispense with it If 1t is 10 con-
denim me to an executive session. / VIII
make an argument which will contain
.r-I,; ;pf, rpufaira rbQ doors
to be closed. even under the most narrow
rulings.
MY service in Congress has not been
very long. l have served for eleven years
in both branches of Congress, and in that
time l have been able to observe and un-
derstand the rule Of the minority.
Now, Mr.. President, II we assume for
a moment that there is a measure which
has been twice urged by the President
in his messages. that the Administration
is known to desire It; that majority in
both houses of Congress desire 1t also,
under those circumstances If we were
able to have a vote In either house on
that measure. It would be adopted.
Nothing remains 10 the members of
the helpless majority. however, but TO
utter their protests. and even that has
been taken away elsewhere. But here in
the Senate il is still possible for a mem
ber of the helpless majority to say, at
least what he thinks ought 20 be done
and to call the attention of the country,
so far as one feeble voice may be able to
do so, 10 the situation that exists
If such a situation as l have described
exists Mr.. President then il is desirable
that the country, at this period Of war.
should know 1t. 1t IS for that reason Mr..
President. that 1 have taken the floor.
Some senators were prompt TO criti-
else me on the amendment / introduced.
apparently with the idea that | intended
to block and obstruct the war revenue
bill now before the Senate Mr. President.
! have never attempted to obstruct legis-
lation in this body, 10 my knowledge.
l have no intention of trying TO obstruct
this great bin now, either by amend
ment or by speech. But l do think that
the situation is such as TO deserve few
moments of discussion.
"I believe we ought to pass, not only
the war revenue bin as a war measure,
but every other war measure that the
Administra ton desires Every other
measure which they regard as military
necessity. /, for one, am not ready 10
vote to adjourn until all the measures
necessary to the prosecution of the war,
or that the Administration deems neces-
sary. have been acted upon by Congress.
The President of the United States is
charged with the great responsibility of
war. In his hands are the war powers
of the Constitution. If a helpless ma
jority in the two houses of Congress is
unable TO give him, in certain directions.
the legislation he needs. he can employ
the war power.
..The glory of successful war and
triumphant peace inures to the Presi-
dent. On him rests also the heavy re-
sponsbility if disaster comes. whether he
be innocent or guilty of the disaster.
Whether 1t Is owing to his plans or not,
il is on him that il will fall Therefore,
Mr.. President, he has the right to ask of
Congress their support for every measure
which, in his judgment, is necessary to
the conduct of war, and until he receives
every aid from Congress that he can fair
ly demand. Congress should not adjourn
until the Administration is ready to say
and does say. that the President does not
desire the presence of Congress in session
ut seems TO me it is our plain duty to
stay here in order to pass the measures
and give him the assistance that he needs.
When he has received all the measures
that he thinks the military necessity of
the times may demand. and feels that
there is no longer need of the presence
Of Congress- he can signify IT to us
Far more important to my mind than
the amendment which I have not and am
not able to use as an Illustration, is the
question of adjournment. Anxious as I
personally am to leave Washington and
return to my home, l, for one, will never
give a vote for adjournment, and I am
against the policy which seeks to hasten
adjournment until the President has re-
ceived every measure he asks. and until,
in his judgment. it is fitting and proper
that Congress should retire
Now Mr.. President, as to the existing
conditions which have led me to make
this statement. and which would have led
me. if I could have had the freedom 10
do so. to discuss the amendment which
offered on Friday. / desire very briefly
to describe the condition of the war up
to the present time At the end of April
the President ordered the Asiatc squad
ron to attack the Spanish fleet, and to
capture or destroy it..
Mr. Turpie: 81 would ask the honor
able senator whether he intends to dis
cuss the subject matter of his amend
ment?''
Mr.. Lodge: 'T stated that 1 did not I
do not think Admiral Dewey's victory is
the subject of executive session. | have
not mentioned the Hawaiian Islands, and
1 do not intend to. if that is what the
senator means
Mr.. Turpie: THAT is what I mean"
MIR. White: 81 desire to refer the gen
tleman to the fact that when the subject
matter of the war was to be discussed
we have been reminded to observe the
executive session rule. and what is fair
for one is fair for another. | was per-
fectly willing to discuss the Hawaiian
question in the open, but having been de-
MED that right I insist that everything
relating to that debate shall not be dis
cussed in the open. II was forced into
privacy but not by our votes
Nv T T vy1a ad vrr6a,