The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10
DEMOCRATS ACCUSED OF
SLANDER|NG PUBLIC MEN
President, Postmaster General and
Controller Tracewell Defended
by Mr.. Spooner.
SPEECH IN THE SENATE

WASHINGTON April 9-ln the Senate
to-day Mr.. Spooner replied to the Demo
cratic structures on the conduct OF the
Postoffce Department and also traversed
quite an extensive political field. He de-
Tended the course of the postmaster general
in connection with the irregularities of his
department and charged that the effort on
the part of Democratic senators to secure
congressional inquiry was in the interest of
party politics He also defended the Presi-
dent against the charge of violating the
law, which. he said had been made by the
Democrats declaring that in nothing was
the President so much distinguished as in
his determination TO enforce the law.
What we say here goes into the perma-
nent record" said Mr.. Spooner. IF we cast
reflections upon any person official of the
government they are there for all time. We
supposed to speak from a high stand
ard"
The Wisconsin senator condemned what
he called the Islander against Mr.. Payne i'm
relation to sending to Congress charges
against members of Congress in connection
with the use of their influence in postoffice
affairs. Reviewing the facts in regard to
the request from the House for information
In regard to members of Congress, Mr.
Spooner declared that it had been shown
that the entire blame rested with the chair
man of the House committee. The entire
report was made public by the House, said
Mr.. Spooner. and so far as he understood
the facts the postmaster general was en-
tirely free from blame. Mr. Spooner said
the controller of the treasury. Mr.. Trace
we'll, had been subjected to adverse criti-
cism and that official he believed to be up
right, honest and incompatible and able
lawyer. Mr. Spooner put into the record a
/ letter from the President to Mr.. Payne COM
! mendinS him for the work he had done in
connection with the postoffice investigation.
Mr.. Spooner charged the Democrats in
both houses of Congress with having
adopted as party slogan the declaration
| that Roosevelt must be beaten" why?
| Because they say he is a law unto him.
| self. czar-unsafe, unsound a lawmak-
| er, a laWbreaker and the like. while the
candidate on the other side is safe and
| sound, calm and judicial. Do you have
| 10 nave some one to testify that he is a
Democrat? He has it now from DIR. Cleve-
land, whose Democracy itself is ques-
| toned"
What evidence, Mr.. Spooner asked. had
Mr.. German that the President is a car?
! he would hate to believe that Mr.. German
meant TO charge that the Republican SEN
! ators had abdicated their functions SEN
ators, but he had shown that disposition
| by charging that they are blindly obeying
some outside behest to adjourn Congress
| at an early date AS for himself he would
| admit that he desired TO adjourn. He
/ wanted 10 get away, not only because he
completed, but because he thought the
democratic members ought to be allowed
10 get away and consult the people with the
enc IN IN view OF having the two wings of
/ Democratic AoN fhar 81,
| they can select as a candidate some safe.
calm. silent. judicious man who can be
/ held up IN North Carolina as a trust buster
! and In Wall street as a man entirely de-
voted to the business interests
Mr.. Spooner defended the President
against MIR. Germans charge of violating
against the charge of a violation of law
In connection with the old age pension
order, Referring to the pension matter,
he said that so far from violating the
law 1t had amel!orated a violation of the
| law in 1898 when there was a Democrat tic
President He would not admit, in re-
spcnse 10 question from Mr.. Overman
that the pending campaign had influenced
the old age order. He said that it was
not intended that the strict rules of the
law courts should be applied in granting
pensions. and he argued that the secretary
or the interior and the commissioner OF
pensions were TO be the judges as to what
shall constitute due proof under the
law.
He defended the President against the
charge of violating the law, saying that
whatever the President of the United
States had demonstrated he has shown un.
| faltering devotion TO the law 1t has al
| ways been his doctrine that the executive
| should enforce the law and that if the law
| is not right ii should be repealed" He
wondered. he said that Mr.. German haC
not attacked the Presidents record In con
nection with the anthracite coal strike OF
1902. He dwelt on the beneficial result OF
his interference. and added II suppose
your calm, neutral, Undetermined Presi.
dent would have taken refuge behind the
| Constitution and would have done nothing
Not so, thank God, with Theodore Roose.
welt" But for the Presidents action every
city in the country would have been the
scene of violence and rioting.
THE senator says they will give us
hard fight" said Mr.. Spooner, referring
TO Mr.. Simmonss speech. Perhaps they
WILL but | believe the people will elect
| Mr.. Roosevelt because they know him anC
| know that there is no class, high or low
| rich or poor. who will be excluded from
the benefits Of the law or be trampled upor
| by it,.