The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-13
L0NGW0RTH hits
CHARACTER
THUGS
Assails Them Who 1mpugn
Motives of Public
Men.

SufCdSO, April is. - congressman
Nicholas Longworth was the guest of
honor at dinner given tonight in
the Auditorium hotel by the Haml-
ton club. in celebration of the forty
first anniversary Of AppomattoX day.
The banQueters were greatly disap-
pointed because Mrs. Longworth was
not present at the dinner. as arrange
ments had been made by the club for
a concealed balcony. in which she
could listen to her husbands speech.
Mrs. Longworth sent her regrets, say
ing that she would visit friends while
her husband was addressing the ban
queters.
At the speakers table. in front of a
large portrait Of President Roosevelt.
were seated President Wood. of the
Hamilton club. who was toastmaster:
Congressman. Longworth. Claude
Kitchin, congressman from North
Carolina. and Rev. John Wesley HILL
of New York.
When Congressman Longworth rose
to address the gathering he was cor
daily welcomed by the 400 banQueters.
He said:
politics and the present situation in
fashion nowadays to assail all our
public men. to belittle their character
and impugn their motives. If you be-
lieve all you read and hear, you might
we'll reach the conclusion that there
is not a man today in public life
whose motives are free from sus-
picion. You might we'll believe that
politics means graft, and that graft
means politics. II You don't happen
to agree with the views of the politi-
cal man today, you assail his motives
and you insinuate that there are cor
rupting motives behind him
Take the case of the railroad-rate
bill now before the senate-and am
not talking about the merits of the
bill. There are some senators that
believe that the Hepburn bill should
be amended. There are some very
eminent lawyers in that body who be-
lieve that the Hepburn bill without
an amendment providing for court-re-
view is unconstitutional.
Believes in Hepburn Bill.
Nov, because l believe the Hep
burn bill Is constitutional. because l
voted for it, because 1 believe that
rates on railroads should be regulated
as stringently as the Hepburn bill pro-
vides, is that any reason why should
impugn the motives of those senator's
who disagree with me? When I read
that great lawyers and eminent states
men like Knox, Spooner, and Foraker
are traitors to their country, am I
to acquiesce In those sentiments? On
the contrary, | absolutely repudiate
them.
1T Seems to me that the fashion of
t. lea -
almost hysteria. If the government
Of our cities, of our states, is shame
full; II our judges are corrupt; If the
United States senators are traitors
what hope is there for this country?
How is it to continue to grow and
prosper?
II am one of those who believe that
instead of everything getting worse,
things are getting better | am one
of those who believe that the stand
ards of our public men are getting
higher instead of lower; that the
standard of public morals is becom-
ing higher instead of lower, and that
today the standard of public morals
in this country is higher than in any
other country under the SUM- OF
course, we have dishonest officials,
and of course some of them are graft
ers; but if a man is crook he is
going to be so wherever he is.
And let me say that there is today
in Washington man, the leader of
his party, that has punished, that has
used every atom, and will continue
to use every atom, of his great power
to punish grating and dishonesty in
public officials, whether they are at
the bottom of the ladder or in the
seats of the mighty, and whether re-
publicauS or democrats