The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-02-07
MR. CLAYTON SPEAKS
ALABAMA CONGRESSMAN TALKS or
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


washington, Feb. "a Characters
tic speech by Mr.. Clayton. Of Alabama,
was delivered in the House of Repre-
sentatives today. his text being the
Presidents recent special message to
Congress- That message. he said,
adopted In every particular, the prin-
cipies advocated by the Democratic
party.
1T is no wonder he said, that its
reading provoked such Democratic ap-
piause.@
The President, he said, was admira-
Bile as a man in some respects. and
man most worthy of admiration in
some respects; but he declared he
would indulge In no panegyric nor
would be give him credit for what the
Democrats had stood for, for many
years. The message, he said, was
remarkable document, from a most re-
mark abale man. "a man who has DOM
mated his party
Mr.. Clayton chided the Republicans
for what he said was their weak APP
plause for the Presidents message,
which he characterized as an indict-
ment against his own party and said
"the President not only indicts you,
but he furnished. the proof to convict
you"
Mr.. Clayton said he did not know
where history would place the Pres
ident. 1T may put him in the cate
CORY of the great Presidents" he said.
at may put him along with Washing
ton, Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln,
or IL may write him down otherwise"
Some people" Mr.. Clayton contin-
ued, SAY the President Is changea-
BILE, eccentric and dangerous, while
others Iaud him as a great man of
decision, of purpose. but / reserve the
right to withhold my judgment Until
.a.-&. Nunr
when we can see the fruits of his ef-
forts
Taking UP the Presidents recommen-
dations, Mr.. Clayton insisted that
Republican House. and Senate had been
warned, but the Republican party paid
no heed to the warnings OF the DEM
ocrats. IL, lie declared, those warn
ings had been needed. the unconstitu-
tionality of the employers liability law
would have been saved.
Discussing the message, he added:
ut is a complaint from beginning
to end of your failure and your dere-
fiction, OF your incompetency, or your
lack Of patriotism and manhood to
rise and meet the Legislative demands
of the country"
When the Democratic applause which
this utterance evoked had subsidized
Mr.. Clayton threw another firebrand,
when he charged that ''the President
not only indicts you, but he furnishes
the proof to convict you"
General laughter greeted him when,
facing the Republicans he said:
III on that side, mothers SON OF
you enjoyed that message, tailed 10
discover it."
The Republican reception of the mes
sage. he declared, had been more
solemn than a funeral procession.
The Republicans did not like the
message. he charged, because there
was too much big stick on the one
hand to suit the reactionartes and not
quite enough to arouse the enthusiasm
of the white House cuckoos."
The Democrats had not, Mr.. Clayton
said, heard any protest against tne
big stick, which was being welded over
the heads of the Republicans, except
the feeble utterance of Mr.. Boutelle
Of Illinois, who had the courage to
stand up and champion the cause OF
suncle Joe" Cannon. Applause greeted
that remark, but Mr.. Clayton de-
| clared that the applause was only per-
| functory. He created a storm of APP
pIause when he said he had heard no
one in the house declare for vice-Presi-
dent Fairbanks, to whom he referred as
that walking advertisement for a re-
frigerator' to say nothing OF cock
tails"
Mr.. Clayton mentioned other avowed
presidential candidates. OF Senator
Foraker, Mr.. Clayton spoke as that
great man, that champion of what he
believes to be right, whether you or
subscribe to 1T or not; that man OF
nerve and conscience" who he said was
at war with the great Me-too candi-
date of the White House." referring to
Secretary Taft The Republicans, he
declared, did not like President Roose-
Welt nor his policies. The President at
one time believed In tariff revision
shut he is now pro-tempore stand
patter."
Mr.. Clayton spoke of "the vast army
Of unemployed" and charged the indus
trial condition to the Republicans.
1--WE might as well face conditions as
they are" he said, land 1t would not
do for the Republicans to adhere to
the announced program that the
present would be a do-nothing Con-
gress"
He appealed to the Republicans to
do their duty. He then secured per-
mission to insert in the Congressional
| record Mr.. Bryan's Thou shalt not
steal" speech. And predicted that
Mr.. Bryan would be the next Presi-
dent.
Mr.. Johnston. of Kentucky. spoke
briefly on the subject of the Presidents
message anu Sdlu II was SAIiPly al
| dorsement of Democratic policies He
did not believe the Republicans would
pay heed to the recommendations or
that message and he challenged the
President to say whether or not in the
approaching election he would use the
| Influence of his great office ito re-
elect the men who in this hall stand
between the people and their needs"
He also wanted the President to
come out square1y and say whether
or not he had not offered powerful pat
ronage to the Republican Congress-
men of Kentucky "that they may use
Il to be returned to these halls to
again vote against the restoration TO
the, people of those rights of which
the successfully dishonest have. under
Republican laws, deprived them"
General debate on the Indian APP
preparation bill then closed and the
bill was taken up for amendment.