Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-14
CONGRESSIONAL
Mes.sss Defended In House.


On both sides Of the chamber last
week speeches were made in support
Of the policies advocated in the special
message Of the president. Townsend,
the Michigan Republican whose name
was connected with the rate bill, start
ed the bal! with review OF antitrust
and railroad legislation and endeavored
to show that these were not RESPONSE
BILE for the panic and that the Demo
Gratis did not initiate the policies Of the
administration.
Bourke Cochran Of New York, speak
Ing for the opposition party, held that
the elements Of progress In the gov
eminent today had their source in the
Democracy. Nevertheless he eulogized
the president as a crusader and "the
most heroic figure in the history of
the American government" Then.
amid thunderous applause on the Dem
ocratic side, he announced his allegiance
to Bryan as the Democratic candidate
for president. Cochran assailed BIT
terly the course pursued by the wealthy
men who had tried to place on the
president blame for the panic merely
because he had talked about enforcing
the law impartially against malefac-
tors. He was glad the president had
accepted their challenge.
Hepburn of Iowa, one of the fore
most Republican leaders, closed the de-
bate, saying that he was as ardent as
| Cochran in his approval of the mes
sage and that the American people
'.stand behind him in everything he
has DONE" The presidents only crit
ics, he continued. ARE the malefactors
he has exposed and their apologists."
He didn't believe that anything would
be done by this congress to clothe the
president with the desired power to
put his views in practice. Replying
to the Democrats, Hepburn said they
dared not use any but honeyed words
In discussing the message. "for they
knew 1t met the expectations and hopes
Of the people and We're trying to APP
propriate It's provisions"
Sherwood Of Ohio, the Democrat whc
has just re-entered congress after an
absence Of thirty-four years, scored the
president as borrower Of Bryan re-
forms and eulogized the Nebraskan.
To Abolish Pension Agencies.
The annual pension bill, as fayorably
reported to the house, carries total
appropriation Of $15OSe9, 600. AS a
method Of economy 1t proposes to con
solidate all the branch agencies in GER
tain cities into the central bureau at
Washington. This policy is opposed by
the G. A. r. There are now 967,37l
persons on the pension roll, and the
sum paid them last year was $13S, o30,-
1894.
Beverldse's Tariff Plan.
/ In the senate Beyeridge spoke in sup
port Of his bill to create nonpartisan
tariff commission. The proposed com
mission would not be authorized to fis
duties or even to suggest rate, but
would merely collect and classify facts
on which the next congress might act
intelligently. Beyeridge insisted tina,
there was no politics in the plan, bu.
the Democrats indicated that they ex
pected to make revision part of theil
campaign this year.
Widows Pension Bill Passed,
| Unanimously under suspension OF
the rules, Feb. g. the house voted te
raise from s. to So the minimum pen
sion to be given to the widows of vet
Grams Of the Mexican, Indian civil and
| Spanish wars.
Leader Williams Dissents.
i Williams of Mississippi, the Demo
| cratic leader, replied to Hepburn and
denied that the message met with the
approval Of the entire people, asserting
that there are things in 1t sensation
al, federalistic and dangerous to the
American republic" He Civilians
hoped to see the standard of rebellion
against the house machine raised BY
Hepburn. For his part he was moi
! afraid of radical In the White House
intimating that Bryan might be the
next occupant. Corporations would moi
be properly punished until the punish
4 ment was visited upon the flesh and
blood from whose brains and by whose
:, acts violations of the law take place
co. H