Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-14

has given some useful testimony
Sometimes it is embarrassing to be a
witness before a committee of con
gress and at the same time the editor
of great newspaper. The other day
the Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune wrote a very justifia-
BILE criticism of the hostile attitude of
Chairman Mann toward the publishers
who appeared. before him. When Mr..
Mccormick came up for his next or
deal the chairman asked him If he
had knowledge of this article printed
In his paper. Mr.. Mccormick answered
that he had not directed that it should
be prepared or sent, but that he had
read it, considered it an accurate state
ment of facts a piece of news, and APP
proved its publication. The chairman
Of the committee, who has throughout
| acted as If he were special counsel for
the paper trust. subsidized and said no
more. The incident has some impor-
lance as indicating what the great Re
|. publican newspapers of the United
States are likely TO do to the Repub-
lican party in the event of its failure
| to be reached
| The room in which the committee is
| holding its hearings is one of the enor
/ nous committee rooms in the new of
| flee building for representatives IN con-
| gress. While the room is completed.
| its furnishings are not, and with little
| furniture and no curtains 1t is a Sort
| of echo gallery, a cave of the winds
The stenographers and the press men
| who are five feet away from the wit
| ness cannot hear what he Is SAYING.
The other day In the clOakroom Of the
house one of the Associated Press men
was complaining about the difficulty OF
reporting this hearing. Another man
said: THAT room isn't circumstance
to the new room of the ways and
! means committee overhead. You can't
hear two feet away from the witness
there" John Sharp Williams, who has
been trying to get the ways and means
i'committee to give some attention to
various tariff reform bills, drawled ont
in his characteristic way: Boys. they
must have built that room with pur-
pose. The ways and means commit.
tee doesn't want to hear anybody on
any subject at all.
Democracy In New England.
/ George Fred Williams of Boston was
In Washington recently and talked
somewhat on politics in the New Eng.
land states. Williams has been a good
lighter for Democracy there for twelve
years. prior to which time he was q
Mugwump. He has had his ups ant
downs, his last down being in 1904, but
at present he is very much on the VI
grade. LII fact, he believes that he ant
his friends have regained control Of
the Democratic situation in Massachu
sets.
Mr.. Williams said: "The amount o
INSTRUMENTATION concerning the attitud,
of the New England Democracy would
surprise me except for the fact that
have learned how little we know II
New England through the press o
what is going on in THE rest of tn,
country. Apparently men in Washing
ton are astonished to learn that tn
vote of New England in the Denye
convention will be by a great majorit,
for Mr. Bryan. Rhode Island has act
j ed, and seven out of the eight dele
gates from that state are earnest Bry
an men In Connecticut majority o
the delegation may safely be counte,
! for Bryan. Massachusetts will sem
d