The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-06-27
WHY HE VOTED AGAINST 1T.
Senator Hepburn Explains Why He
Voted Against the Compromise
Currency Bill, But Does Not

CuITeucy Dill, But Does NOT
Apologize.
During the last hours of congress.
the financial bill, the result of a con
ference between the two houses be.
came a law. Both Senator Hepburn
and Senator Borah voted against the
bill Senator Hepburn took occasion
to explain his vote as follows:
Mr.. Hepburn: Mr.. President, |
sought to address myself to the at
tention Of the senate before the vote
was taken. The haste with which the
roll call was commenced prevented
me from doing SO. | do not desire
that the vote which | cast against
the adoption of this report shall go
out unexplained, and when | say "un-
explained" l do not mean apologized
for.
Mr.. President, | am not here to at
tack the republican party. All the
senators In this body combined and all
the senator's who ever sat In this
body are not strong enough to drag it
down; their states are not strong
enough to destroy it; and 1 say that
with no disrespect to any member OF
this body. But that old party is big
ger and greater than all the men who
represent it in the legislative hall. In
our section OF country we have no
neceSSltV xyh
financial legislation. The provisions
OF this bill do not apply to more than
one-third, almost One-half, OF the
area of the United States. This legis-
iation, by its terms, is excluded in
its operation from more than one
third OF the United States-from
nearly one-third Of it In one solid
biock, without a break. The proyis-
ion for the craetion OF national cur
rency association will have no appli-
cation to seventeen states In the UNI
ION, because such associations are
limited to states having $5.0OO,0OO OF
unimpaired capital and surplus. There
are seven states in the union and un-
fortunately they all lie. or nearly all
OF them lie. in one great area upon
the Pacific coast.
Mr.. President, l am not willing to
give my voice or my vote or my assent
to Legislation for one-third of the
country as against two-thirds of the
country, or for two-thirds of the
country as against one-third of the
country. l want the laws to be appli-
cable, not only In their principles, but
In their terms. in every respect to
every part of the country. That we
should become a vassal to the finan-
cial world of the east is intolerable
and will be intolerable to the people
Of the great west.
do not believe in sectional legis-
lation at all and If there were no other
obnoxious provisions in this bill than
those, / would have voted against 1t.
But l opposed the Aldrich bill when
1t was before the senate for conside-
ration and / voted against it then, as
now, because. in my Judgment, there
was no necessity for any legislation
and now more emphatically because
there has been eliminated from the
Aldrich bill every provision relative
to the reserves In national banks.
could elaborate these reasons but
shall not do so. have stated
enough reasons, and good enough
reasons. to account for the vote which
have cast. The casting of that vote
does not cast me outside Of the breast
works of the republican party. There
Is no man In this chamber who has
been in the republican party longer
than have been, for am older than
The republican party. and was born
into the very atmosphere and patrio-
ism upon which that party was
founded and has ever since rested. L
have never swerved for one hour In
NY fealty, my loyalty and my support |
@ that party. and intend that it |
shall not go out to the country that |
stood here voting with the demo-
cratic party. l did not cast my vote |
oday because of my love for the DEM
'craic party. respect its members |
Individually; but know Its princi-
Pies and disapprove Of them. With
hese words my vote can go to the
country.