The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-12
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building,

-5 Al sa Washington, March n. 2 In this day of sensations in the House of Representatives, such as has not been witnessed since the tempestuous days of the Fifty-first Congress. the red-hot earpestness, the unminced Anglo-Saxon and unanswered onslaught of Represen- tative Henry D. Clayton upon the Post office Department. was one of the big features of q day of striking events in the House. Ss
 Mir, ciayton's name had appeared in the list of members reported by the Post
 ofiice Department as among those who were concerned in exerting personal in huence upon the Department.
 He pitched into the hypocrisy of the Executive Department nightly, and did
 not hang upon any word to convey hls detestation and contempt. The Alabam- ian;s effort came like a burst of pent-up impulse, and while its boldness made a decided sensation. 1t was received with
 unrestrained enthusiasm on the Demo cratic side. The Republicans had by this time begun to keep silent. realizing how serious case had been made against their administration and against their party in the House.
 Nevertheless. they evidently enjoyed the situation when they heard Clayton talk on the Distinguished Imbecile." refer FInR 10 Tue HehQ Ql tItc IlOoeoAAASC 4~NbNaN n1ent, Henry c. Payne. whom the Presi- dent had been felicitating for his sundry works of investigation
 Republicans Also fingered. Throughout the fever of excitement to which members had been wrought as the various forms Of injustice done individual members by the Department reports was disclosed, the most remarkable about tt all was the manifest and unfeigned en- ioyment of the Republicans themselves over every criticism of the Roosevelt aa- ministration The more direct the assault upon the sagacity and integrity or the administration, the more the Republicans seemed to enjoy it.
 There was an unparalleled scene when William Alden Smith made his speech IT. which he as much as nominated Speaker Cannon for tho Presidency. 1ntenped ss an exaitation of the House of Repreaen- tatives in contrast with other branches ot the government. it was taken up and swung into the air as the happiest idea of the day, ,,stsss- ,t,....' The Michigan member, started . whirl- wind: the force of which will not be spent wholly in the upper air. It Is ai- ready said that Speaker Cannon may as well prepare to be summoned every day to the White House to renew his oath or 0lIeKlanCe 10 itH0 dulnthtbtAaAOaA- The Republicans have had the worst
 that the fortunes of politics has visited upon them In many a year. They prac- Itioaliy admit that they are "in hoIe's ana that +he bad break Of the PcFtofnce I DepaFtlnAnt under the nsaiAanee Of the
 white House. has cost them control of
 the next. Congress-, 60 far as concerns the House. --te~ 4--.-ss e.y-'... .--.,s Speech of clayton.
 Representative Clayton, after fully go- ing over the details of the Union Springs
 postofnce case in which his name and
 those of Senators Pettus and Clay were mentioned fin the Departments answer
 to the Hay resolution, proceeded to give
 his view of the situation.
 Speaking of Senator PettuS in connec- tion with the Union Springs case. Mir. Clayton said he was a great and grand
 old man against whom no slanderer be-
 fore had ever dared utter breath of scandal--this fine old gentleman whose
 honored head today is crowned by the sunlight of three-quarters of century, and who lives in the confidence and aftec- ton of his people.
 Then referring to a petition in the cor
 respondence on the case which had heen left out of the report by the Depart
 ment's response, MT. Clayton said: ~ 'It will be observed that this petition states that the people of the town de-
 sired the postofice retained in its then present locality. and that the owner would
 repair it, fin order to meet the require ments of the case, and these people sug- gested that the rental of tn office ought
 to be a sufficient amount to justify those repairs Now that is the petition which this letter of mine endorses, and that Is all I have had to do with this case. It
 was a very respectful and sensible peti-
 ton. and is signed by the probate judge
 by the Mayor. the city clerk. every doc
 tor, every merchant, and every business
 man and in short. so far as know and
 believe, and think I know, ninety-nine
 out of every hundred of these men per
 sonaIly. It Is signed by every patron of
 that office. It was clearly my duty to en-
 dorse this petition. and I shall continue
 to endorse the petitions of those good
 and honest people who send me here to
 Washington for that purpose as we'll as
 for other public purposes, and 1t was en-
 tirely proper, and the duty of the Sem
 ators to have also endorsed this peti-
 ton. As to Rascality.
 1 "Now, MT. Speaker, if this report un- covers any rascality or improper trans action by any member of Congress. it does not do so in the case of any member of this side of the chamber have talk
 en the pains to go through this docu- ment to see if any Democrat had even so
 much as offended against the law of pro-
 priety, and I have found none in the
 matter of postofflce leases, as have said
 The report of your committee. made unanimously by Republicans and Dcro-
 crats, says that there has been no in-
 fraction of law, no possible impropriety
 committed, except possibly in the three
 cases, one each in New York. Connecticut | and Kansas.
 Mir. Speaker, what is all this document
 for? I think I can tell you. when the newspaper reporters-and all Of them that
 know are fair minded, bright and inter
 eetlng men. some of them may some
 times, for the sake of making good
 story, indulge in little over ornamenta
 tion, but all of them that I know are
 truthful, honorable and gentlemanly-
 when this class of public servants (b'.-
 cause they do serve the public in high Icapacity representing noble calling) when