Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-19

week received notification of his ap-
pointment as one OF the vice presidents
OF the Public Health Defense league,
which has just been Incorporated In
New York The league is modelled
along the lines of the Red Cross soci-
ETY., and, like that organization, will be
national In scope. It will work under
the provisions of the pure food law,
with a special reference to stamping
out medical frauds, illegal practices
adulterations of rugs and similar Of
lenses.
The national scope of the league is
shown by the fact that the membership
fee is only 81 per year, although much
aid Is expected from voluntary con-
tributions. BY placing the fee so low
the league expects to secure quickly
thousands of members I'm all parts of
the country. Austen G.. Fox Of New
York is to be president of the organ
izatlon.
VIII Not Gust smoot
There is a decidedly strong possibll-
ity that Senator Smoot of Utah will
not be ousted from the United States
senate. From present indications the
chances are favorable for vote per-
mitting him to retain his seat. His fell
low members have temporized with
this question for many months, fearing
to champion his cause and being equal
ly loath to vote against him.
Driven into a corner now, however, a
number of senator's who hitherto have
kept their hands off are coming out
boldly into the open and declaring his
right to retain his official toga. Sem
ator Hopkins this week made a pow
erful speech i'm defense of Mr.. Smoot,
in which he questioned the right of the
senate to pass upon the Utah men,
ber's case.
He declared that senator's are not
federal officials to the extent that the
senate can pass upon their quallfica-
tions or can impeach them for high
crimes and misdemeanors. He cited
as a precedent the case Of Senator
Rlount of Tennessee, charged with
treasonable correspondence with a for
eign nation more than one hundred
years ago. The conclusion reached at
that time was that the senate had no
right to try the case, but that it came
within the jurisdiction of the federal
courts. This decision never has been
reversed.
From a constitutional standpoint Mr..
Hopkins argument was powerful. and
there is no doubt that many senators
who secretly have sympathized with
Mr.. Smoot will take shelter behind
this phase of the general law and vote
against his expulsion.
No "War of Rebellion"
Officially there never was any war
of the rebellion" The United States
senate has legislated that term out of
existence, and hereafter in official doc
the late unpleasantness between
the north and south will be known as
the "civi war" This change in no.
was brought about this
week during the passage of the gen.
eral service pension bill, which. incl
dentally, adds fully s12,000,000 to the
annual roll. Exceptions to the term
war of the rebellion" was taken by
Senator Money of Mississippi, and after
q spirited debate he won his point, so
that hereafter the expression civil
war" will be used in referring to the
conflict that ragged between
1861 and 1865. While the senate was
busy in the passage of the general PEN
sion bill the house this week established
a record in the number of private PEN
sion bills passed within' a given time.
In the space of ninety-five minutes the
house passed on 62S of these private
pension bills, or an average of nearly
seven bills per minute. This record
never was approached before.