The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-24

bury, n. c.
Washington, D. c., January o.
The senate spent over an hour today
in discussing a resolution offered by
Senator Hansborough, of North Da-
kota, directing the department of
commerce and labor to suspend it's
investigation into the affairs of the
International Harvester Company,
which was ordered by a resolution
over year ago. During this dis
cussion Senator Hansborough declar-
ed that the Harvester trust" is at
tempting to control the selection of
delegates to the next republican ma
tional convention and is especially
plotting to defeat him for reelection
The resolution finally was referred to
the committee on agriculture.
The criminal code bill was again
considered for over two hours and
at 4:40 the senate adjourned.
In offereing his resolution Mr..
Hansborough explained that there ex-
lists between the several departments
a certain courtesy or comfy which
makes them desire TO act in harmony
and for that reason the department
of justice is holding back it's pro-
ceedings while another department
is under direction to make an in
vestigatiOn of the trust it contem-
plates to prosecute.
The resolution called forth a storm
of protest during which Mr.. Hans
borough declared that the Interna-
tional Harvester Company is taking
a hand in politics in North Dakota
and is trying to capture delegates
who are to represent that state in
the republican national convention.
mot alone that" said Mr. HansbO-
rough, "the edict has gone forth from
this monopoly that | am to be defeat
ed for the senate Of the United States
because | had the termerity to offer
a resolution to investigate it.
''The political fortune Of a man is
a grain of sand compared with the
injustice that may be wrought by an
institution of this kind. | accept
this challenge and am ready to meet
1t. If the people of my state desire
to have this monopoly control their
state they don't want me as their
representative.
Senator Beveridge declared that
this statement of the activity of the
Harvester trust was much more
the investigation of the trust Mr..
Beveridge declared that he could not
understand how the investigation
could affect the action of the depart
ment of justice. If the department
should secure more information
against the trust than the attorney
general now has that would only as
sist in the prosecution.
Senator William James Bryan, of
Florida, the youngest member of the
senate, made his maiden speech en-
deavoring to kill the pending reso-
luton outright instead of sending it
to the committee.
HOUSE.
Rapid progress was made in the
house of representatives today in the
consideration of the bill to codify
and revise the penal laws of the Unit
ed States. The only amendment Of
any Importance which got through
was one by Mr.. Ollie James, of Ken
tUcky, making it a criminal Offense,
under heavy penalty, to falsify gov
ernment crop statistics, the object
of the amendment being to protect
the cotton and tobacco growers from
spectators. Over fifty pages OF the
bill were disposed of.
Mr.. James explained his amend
ment by saying he specially desired
to reach persons in the agricultural
department having to do with to-
bacco figures. us it to be an agri-
cultural Department." he inquired
cor a department that is to be mani
pulated by a lot of gamblers and
thieves that prey upon the farmers
of the country?"
Mr.. Mann, Illinois, was unable to
convince Mr. James that there al
ready was a law to meet the case,
and the latter urged the adoption of
the amendment.
After Mr.. Gaines, Tennessee, had
addressed the house in favor of the
measure, Mrs. Payne remarked that
the matter was fair illustration OF
paternalism. He declared that spec
ulation was wrong and the govern
ment ought not to be asked to fur
Rish any class statistics to enable
such speculation to be carried on. I:
was his opinion that the data ought
to be published as fast as it was re-
ceived and should be accessible to al
the people.
Mr.. Clark, Missouri, interrupted
to state that SO long as the agricu1.
tura1 department undertook to pub