Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-14
Tells Of the Days Incl
dents in the House.
Claims All Editors Should Ga
to Congress.
Does Not Know Where Sullivan Re.
ceived Inspiration-What He Says.

Washington, Feb. 13.-Representa-
tive Hearst, in an Interview, tonight.
on today's incident in the House of
Representatives said:
II need not say that I consider to-
days session of the House Disagree
able to all and absolutely diSgraceful
to those who deliberately planned such
Il scene and forced ii upon myself and
other unwilling members. | feel that
they deserved the IiSagreeable shock
and diSComforture that met them when
they learned through me the extremely
Appropriate kind of man whom they had
selected as their mouthpiece.
The one interesting feature to news
paper men and to the public whom
they serve is the question which was
raised to the right of an editor to Sit
in Congress without making his news
paper subserVent to the opinions of his
congressional associate. I say as en-
phaticaliy as l can that it would be of
the greatest possible value to the
United States if all editors of import
ant newspapers could be elected to
Congress. L wish that these men could
see for themselves and tell the people
of the country much better than I am
able to do. exactly what extent the
House of Representative is a report
body and they might be guided by ac-
tual knowledge of as members of Con-
greSS-uSe their newspapers to force
upon the House the needed reforms and
compel action and definite obedience to
the people.
"1his is my position and so EAR as
In 10 oil Of
there are very few that would not
agree with me.
'As a member of the House, speaking
in the House. 1 expect to be bound by
the rules of the House.
CAS- an editor of Il newspaper. repre-
Senting 4 constituency much larger
than that of any congressman. / eN-
poet to he bound now, as | have been
in the past. by newspaper ethics. that
is to say. by the real interests of the
readers whose approval gives my news
papers what force they have. / am
perfectly certain that no American
newspaper editor worthy of the name.
would allow himself or his newspaper
to be controlled by membership of any
club, or any legislative body to which
he might belong. / am not interested
in knowing who it was actually pre-
pared or inspired the lengthy. elabO-
rate attack upon myself which Mr.. Sui
Ivan read from manuscript, this af-
tern0On. This strikes me as the one
feature in it of interest to the public.
THE gentleman from Massachusetts
spoke rs the representative of the re
Spectacle Democracy He spoke about
protesting on behalf Of the respectable
element in The Democratic party. Ac
cordirg to men of this type. he who
tries to accomplish real reform in an
anarchy. Mr.. Sullivan illustrated this
tendency of his class Interestingly. not
only by attacking an individual Demo
cratic Congressman as an anarchist.
and socialist. bat declared the whole
Republican party to be pushing the
country into socialism because of the
recent effort urged by the President to
bring about a reform III railroad rate
legislation.
The original attack on me by Gov.
Johnson was due my opposition to the
Will of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
and mcedally to my having defeated
him TO? reelection. And this attack by
Mr.. sullivan is apparently due to my
efforts to force the Democratic party
IN the House to take stand more adj
vanced than they Of the Republicans
and in harmony with the professions
of the Democratic platform for the last
eight years in regulating railroad rates.
Il am glad to b" contrasted as an an
archist or socialist O.; under any other
ell.pellation with the ''resre ctabe' ele-
ncnt of the Democratic party. as rep
resented by Mr.. Sullivan, and | have
no doubt that tho honest Republicans,
VINO have insist d upon some measures
of railroad reform will also view with
comrlacenCy their pronunciation as
socialists from this particular source