The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-14
HOUSE Gets 6USy
Reading Newspaper. out of the Dem
ocratic Party More Than One
Man in Party Capable of Being
President-D dissatisfaction With
the Aldrich Bill-Other Matters
Discussed.

Washington. January 10.-The
house Of representatives today as
sum1d its old time activity and for
over FIVE hours transacted business
Of a public nature. Material prog
ress was made with the bill 10 codi
fy, revise and amend the criminal
laws of the United States, which was
taken up after some routine bills
had been disposed of. An attempt
by Mr. Littlefield, TO amend the bill
so as TO afford protection to aliens
in the matter of civil rights. failed
by a decisive vote after cOnsidera-
Bile discussion.
The feature Of the session was a
brief address by Mr.. BrrlesOn Of
Texas, who credited Senator Foraker
and other republicans with having
charged the president with the res
possibility for the recent financial
panic
The country had been on the tip
toe of expectancy, he said, for a
remedy. Both Senators Aldrich and
Culberson had offered measures
which he presumed reflected in the
first instance the will of the repub-
lican party and in the second in
measures which should be enacted
into law. 1t was a matter of par
ticular concern. be maintained,
whether either of those bills legislat-
ed for a special class or whether
they were in the interest of all the
people He sent to the desk and had
read an editorial from the New York
World of yesterday, containing crit
o;r Of No A n Jric in
ing so prefaced his action with the
remark that the World had been a
democratic paper but was now inde-
pendent A lively colloquy ensued
between Mr. Burleson and Mr.. Payne
of New York, the republican floor
leader, who inquired if Mr.. Burle-
son was reading out of the damOcra-
tic party all papers and democrats
who have a sneaking notion that
there may be more than one man in
the democratic party of sufficient
character and ability to be its can
didate for the presidency at the next
election"
Not by any means" shouted Mr..
BurIeson. He said it did not rest
with him, to read metropolitan or
weekly journals out of the democra-
had been a disposition by republi-
can leaders to read out of the repub-
lican party papers that have not ap-
proved of the republican platform
and policies advocated by President
Roosevelt.
Isn't the leading offense that the
New York World proclaims daily and
boldly that there are other gentle
men in the democratic party than
the one peerless leader, who are COM
petent and able to fill the presidents
chair" Mr.. Payne inquired.
"If it does,' replied Mr.. Burleson'
it only states fact.
Mr. Burleson declared that al
ready numerous senators had shown
dissatisfaction with the Aldrich bill
and had offered many amendments.
Then raising his voice to high
pitch and facing the republican side
he said: you are directly RESPONSE
BILE to the people You are the di-
rect representative of the people and
will be amenable to them for your
conduct in connection with these
measures in the fall elections"
He predicted that it would develop
that opposition in the house to the
AluIlCu DlII Is cdIcI l1du IIldC III
the senate. The incident was then
closed.
The bill extending to January 21,
1910, the time allowed militia COM
panies in which to conform their or
ganization, armament and discipline
to that prescribed for the regular
forces of the United States was pass
ed.
Nv Of irn tn
sented a petition from the army and
navy union, praying for the enact
ment of the Dick-CapprOn army
and navy pay increase bills, which
proposes increases of from ten to
twenty-five per cent in the pay of
the officers and men of the army,
navy, marine corps and revenue cut
ter service.
In an exhaustive explanation Of
the bill to codify, revise and amend
the penal laws, Mr. Moon of Penn
sylvania, chairman Of the committee
of revision Of laws, stated the need
Of the revision proposed in response
to what he said was an insistant de-
mand from the public at large and
from congress. There had been more
revision, he said, since 1873 and
more general laws had been enacted
since that time than has been put
On the statute books from the time
Of the formation Of the government
Up to that year.
An amendment by Mr.. Littlefeld
IF Maine, to Section 19 of Chapter
three of the bill, relating to con-
spiracies to injure citizens in their
civil reports so as to include aliens
aroused considerable debate. Mr.. |
said there was no reason |
Why an alien in this country who was |
behaving himself should not have |
he protection of all the criminal
statutes, the same as citizens, and |
several members agreed with him, |
out Mr. Watkins, of Louisiana, a |
of the committee, protested |
IN the ground that the bill did not
make new law but only revised the |
avs already in existence. Mr.. De- |
of Missouri, likewise oppos- |