The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-21
EXPENSES
 FOR TRAVELS MT. Roosevelt is to Get
 S25,000. MIR. UNDERWOOD OPPOSES IT Bourke Cochran Fought Earnestly
 for the Measure. Declared That Party Lines should Not He Drawn As Public Appearances Of President Help Democratic

Washington, June 20-The bill appro- priating. $25.000 to defray the travelling expenses of the President for the next fiscal year was called up under suspen- sion of the rules today in the House by Mr. Tawney of Minnesota, chairman Li the Appropriations Committee.
 The sundry civi lbill carried an item appropriating $25,000 for the travelling expenses of the President which went out on point of order. MT. Watson O. Indiana. then in the chair, and who susi aimed the point of order against the Item, introduced the bill which the House had under consideration.
 MT. Underwood of Alabama. demand ed a second which was ordered and a debate of forty minutes ensued. Mir Underwood asked If the appropriation was for the present President of for future Presidents.
 Mir, Tawney replied that the aim was to make 1t permanent law and with the passage of this bill the point of or der against an appropriation carried by the sundry civil bill would not lie.
 MT. James of Kentucky wanted to know what official duty carried the president abroad. 'Isn't ir true that there Is no official duty requiring him to leave the capital?" he said
 Mir. Tawney said that while he could not recall any official duty at present that might take him outside the capi- tai, he ;ould easily conceive how, as commander In chief of the army and navy. he might be called upon at any moment to travel. Mir. Underwood called attention to the clause in the constitution wherein 1t is provided that the president Shall at stated times receive for his services a compensa- tior which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States or any of them.
 Argument No Avail.
 He said that 1t was not of much avail to make a constitutional argument to the men or the Republican side, but he could not consistently agree to the votins.zof thiss money.
 He said there were some advantages to the country growing out of the Presidents trip, but the utteranee of a president of the United States had worlds audience. no matter where he makes 1t. and 1t is just as effective made in the city of Washington IS in San Francisco or Chicago"
 MT. Bourke Cochran of New York supported the bill. saying he was not willing to make a partisan matter out of the measure. Mir. Cochran remark ed that the gentleman could not vio- late the constitution or the Unlteu States If he tried.
 There happens to be in the oonsti- tuition the means of asserting itself against even the gentlemen of the House of Representatives" he added. Continuing MT. Cochran said:
 The point I wanted to submit to the gentleman and our side here and to the entire House Is this: That in the operation of our constitutional system the President has become great leader of public thought and public opinion, cutie as much as mere executive of the laws, and if the ctrcu- lation of the President throughout the country aid practically in the dtrec- ton of improved legislation giving eff fective direction
 to public opinion whether that De not an expense that ought legitimately be borne out of the public treasury"
 Mir. James (Ky.) interrupted to say that Mir Cochran might suggest In ad- dition that the next time the President spoke 1t might be on something that would not rebound to the good of the people
 q am perfectly willing that the peo- pie should be the judge of that matter" replied MT. Cochran.
 NIT. UnderwoOd's Point.
 'I think" interposed MT Underwood "all public men in the United States, Cabinet officers, Senators and members of the House give their time liberally and freely to the people of the United States in great discussions and there is no reason in the world why this House should make an exception of the President. We are going to deny pass es 10 every man In this House, I be- lieVe we are and know we will if the corferees on the rate bill carry out what believe to be the will and the sentiment of this House."
 Mr Cockrau--Would the gentleman Ieny mileage to members?
 Mir. Underwood-No, I would not.
 MT Cockran--Then If the President travel in the public service is 1t fair to tax him and compel him to pay eX- penses that would be ruinous in their amount put of his own pocket?
 Mr. Underwood argued that as Con Gress had provided a home. furnished and nainthined for the President at the Capital the law contemplated that he should reside here.
 In concluding Mi. Cochran said: T hold 1t as q very suspicious sign that this suggestion comes from the n.d- iority of this House. For many years the Democratic Party had advocated certain policies but some way or other it has failed to get them incorporated into our political system" .(Laughter)
 Democratic Viewpoint.
 However. within the last two or three years a new force has developed giving 70 the cOuntE.' from Republi- can sources a wonderfully efficient en- actment of Democratic ideas. By cir culating throughout this country and placing before its people certain views upon public questions, a public opln- ion Was developed which had already been placed iu a Democratic platform and now practically within our laws
 IA H.H course of the next few years will make the balance of the Democratic idea the dominant feature of our legislation
 MT Roosevelt's speeches through this country have been. l think. by the confession of everybody, the strongest force in the development of pubic opinion In favor of the rall- road rate bill" (ApplauseD
 Mir Sherley If Kentucky continued that Inc presidents trip to the South gave him. bettar appreciation of the people of that section than he could have possibly have had had he re-