Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1908-02-06

NJ. doubt he sat there chanting tho
Mormon hymns which revile the Gen.
tiles and their, faith and laying the
to teach that child tho
faith OF vengeance by the terms Of
which the blood of the prophets were
prayed to be visited upon this nation
OF ours. Reed Smoot by his own tes-
timony, on oath. said that II the time
ever came when he must choose be-
tween his duty under his oath to the
Mormon church and the duty he owed
to the government under the oath he
had assumed as senator he would
leave the country. IT occurred to me
that Reed Smoot was not the best
qualified man that the state Of Utah
might have sent to that great BODY to
enact law for the people of this coun-
try to observe.
Rate Regulation.
Much criticism has been made
about my attitude in congress on rate
legislation, and the statement is made
that four days before the vote was
cast on the railway rate legislation
two years ago | declared that I had
false, and the men and the papers
who stated it knew it to be false.
(Cheers.)
Early in February, 1906, three
months before the first amendment
was voted upon in the senate of the
United States, three months and a
half before the final vote was taken
upon that bill. and while that rate
bill was pending before the proper
committee of the senate Of the United
States. / did state that hadn't ex-
amined the bill they had under con-
sideration. They had any number Of
bills before them which had been in
troduced by any number OF persons,
They had a bill that had come over
to them from the house.
A Lie Nailed.
On the first day of March, 1906.
two months before the first amend
ment of that bill was voted upon.
two months and half before the
final vote upon that measure was had.
gave a public interview stating that
would vote for a railroad rate bill
to be strengthened, if strengthened It
might be, / would vote for the bin
that came from the house to be so
amended il that should be desired
And that appears of record and in
the public print. That bill was re-
ported to the senate in February,
1906, and as 1 have stated the first
vote upon the first amendment hap
pened two months thereafter, and 80
amendments in all were made to that
bill, all of them at the suggestion and
with the approval of President Roose-
welt and his attorney general, Mr.
Moody: and among other amend
ments proposed to that measure was
one putting sleeping car and express
car companies under the provision Of
that measure. That was an amend
ment suggested by nae. (Applause)
Concerning my record on that propo-
sition there is a document that clear
ly establishes it. 1t often happens in
Washington that in the multitude of
duties a senator must perform upon
conference committees and otherwise
he can rush from committee room to
the senate when vote Is had, and all
through this rate legislation I had
been acting in full accord every day,
every hour with Senator Nelson of
Minnesota, and one day, and it is the
only time / was absent when q vote
was taken, and there were hundreds
OF them upon those amendments,
Senator Nelson stated upon the floor
of the senate, which appears in the
Congressional Record. a matter of
record open to all:
The Nelson Letter.
ION behalf of the Senator from
South Dakota, Mr.. Kittredge, / wish
to state that he has a general pair
with the senator from Colorado, Mr..
Patterson, and he desired to have me
state that he would vote on these
questions as vote were he present"
And the president stated in regard
to the conduct of Senator Nelson a.
follows:
white House, Washington. Oct. IL.
1906.
My Dear Mr.. Baker:
In answer to your question it Is a
matter OF simple justice to say that
Senator Nelson was one of the most
potent forces in securing the passage
of the inter state commerce law in
the excellent shape in which 1t was
passed. | was in close touch with him
at all stages of the contest and he
and / We're in entire harmony
of the men to whom we owe most in
connection with the, passage of the
measure and who acted throughout
with transparent good faith and cour-
age. Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt
"Silent" Senator No Longer.
In the face of records such as that
It Is indeed surprising that any should
misrepresent me as they do. The ohy
way can understand it at all IS thaA
for twenty-five years, and II mas
been that long since I began IN
simple way to indulge in ponticss
this is the first time that l nave eseI
opened by mouth in answer 10 theSo
men who, without regard 10 tIuuh,
think that they can say anytnins
about me and will remain slieh.
ll4aughter.l That dav has passed.
(Applause.)
It IS said that during the six years
that have been in the senate :
never lifted my voice regarding local
issues; that / have never favored any
Of the measures which are Tor the
beneflt of the people. had hoped.
I had expected that when the repub-
licans OF this great state hOnored me
far beyond my deserts with q seat IN
the United States senate, and when
had the ambition to perform to the
limit my share of the work ut Wash
ington, ! might very well leave local
matters for the republicans of the
state OF South Dakota to determine,
and there is no man living in this
state who does not know that have
religiously adhered to that course for
the six years past.
During the six years in Washing
ton. ! speak with elaboration, have
been an absolute slave to duty. (Cries
OF We know at, Kit.)'' have be-
begun work there at Z o'clock in tho
morning every morning, and have
worked late at night. Not an inter.
est Of the state OF South Dakota Or
any citizen called to my attention has
been neglected. and In running er-
rands about the department Of WASH
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