The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-22
ABUSE OF PRIVILEGE
RECORD STILL he
ING PUBLISHED.
Weeks After Adjournment of Congress
II is Issued TO Spread Campaign
Literature for Beneflt Of Re-
publican Party.
Advertiser Bureau.
Colorado Building.
A4

COLORADO building,
washington, June 81.
A shameless and outrageous viola
tion Of Congressional printing privi-
members OF the House. Representatives
James T. McCleary OF Minnesota ana
Martin oimstead OF Pennsylvania, has
just been disclosed by the appearance
of the Congressional Record. nearly
two months after the adjournment of
Congress, containing their speeches for
which the only warrant in the Record
was Mr.. Mccleary's Withholding a
brief speech for revision ana Ohm
stead's one minute speech yielded him
for remarks April 22 last. The two
new speeches together carry 100000
words. which, at the ordinary rate of
speaking would take twenty-five hours
to deliver.
The violation is all the more fragrant
in that few days before the adjourn
ment of Congress there was so mani
fest disposition upon the part of some
members to abuse the printing prlvi-
leges that Minority Leader Williams
protested. There was straight test
of the question, ana Mr.. Williams won
his point. aided by the votes OF a few
Republicans, and more extensions were
cut of
/ OdtuEudy 1OWnOt0 Vi
Missouri, Chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Committee. learning
that the McGleary and olmstead
speeches in full were to be published
in the Record on Monday, called at the
government printing once and protest.
ed to Public Printer Palmer. Mr..
Palmer heard the verbal complaint. and
asked Mr.. Cowherd to put into writing
his protest. This Chairman Cowherd
did Immediately, and sent It to MT.
Palmer.
| the government printing once on the
subject. Mr.. Cowherd gave out his let
ter which is as follows:
Hon. F. w. Palmer. Public Printer
Washington, ID. c.:
'Sir-As suggested by you, renew
In writing the verbal protest ! made ia
/ you today against publication OF the
Record which am informed Is to bs
issued Monday next, and against any
further Issue of the same. It Is now
more than seven weeks since Congress
finally adjourned. The Record is in
tended to be and should be a curren,
publication of the daily proceedings OF
that body. To permit members to
continue writing and publishing
speeches for seven weeks after Con-
gress adjourns, in my opinion, Is a
gross violation of the printing privi-
lege.
was informed at your office upon
inquiry that the authorization for such
publication Is leave to extend his re-
marks given to Mr.. Oimstead OF Penn
sylvania April rs, and two speeches
withheld for revision by Mr.. McCleary
of Minnesota, on neither OF which was
any leave to extend given, one made
March 16 on the postoffice appropriation
bill and one April 20. on which latter
occasion he was yielded one minute by
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
IHamilton)
"If one can believe the statements
which have appeared recently in the
public press. advantage Is now to be
taken by Mr.. McCleary of this oppor-
tunity to revise mis- remarks by pub
fishing in the Record literature intend
ed for circulation during the coming
campaign. / know the privilege of re-
vising speeches has always been liber.
ally construed. but to permit a member
to withhold his speech for nearly two
months after Congress adjourns and
| then after the House has lost all op-
portunity for supervision, to permit the
publication of a general campaign doc
ument under the pretext OF revision OF
| remarks made on the floor is an evident
abuse or the printing privilege and OF
the practice of revision.
Il am informed that never before has
the publication of the Record contiu-
ued so long after the adjournment OF
Congress, and / respectfully submit
that II the publications can be contin.
ued for seven weeks, II can be contin-
ued for seven months and the Record
can be used during the entire campaign
as a political organ. Yours respectful
| ly. W. s. Cowherd, M. c.
r. H. Watkins.