Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-16
LEI DOWN BARS At
LAST TO DEMOCRATS.
After Days Of Flghl|pg They Gain
amendment 10 toe Federal
Penal Code.
REPUBLICANS ARE NOT SINCERE
Representative James Says That Party
uses the Franchise of the American
People as a BuHcr-Do Not Follow
Up the Declarations Made by Presi-
dent Roosevelt.


WASHINGTON ID. c.. Jan. 15.-So
persistent have been the efforts in
The House OF Representatives to
amend the bill cod.fying the penal
laws Of the United States. tlia- The
committee on the revision of the law .,
today consented to let down the bars,
and rs result the measure was
changed in some important particri-
lars. The pacific attitude OF the
committee in this regard served to
mollify the opposing members When
the House at 80 p. NJ. adjourned.
there We're pending number of other
important amendments. The nor.
lions OF the bill which attracted the
most attention We're those covering
the gnving and accepting of biibes
lT senators and members and the sale
Of endorsements of support for an.
po!ntive public Offices.
Ii is to the amendments touching
these questions that the House tomor-
row Will devote itself upon resuming
consideration of the bill.
Mr. Leak. of New Jersew. was the
first TO start the debate today which
he did by characteriz!ng the bill as an
'lnscientiflc document, because lie said,
il contained many omissions of I'M
portance which served only 10 discrim-
mate in favor of one class of offenders
against another
Mr. Ollie James of Kentucky. re-
marked that: while an amendment
has been admitted providing punish.
ment for the destruction of birds eggs.
When II comes to providing a sufficient
punishment for men like Hartman
and Rockefeller. or some of the cor
porations that have been feeding on
the public by reason of Your laws. who
contribute millions of dollars to buy
up elections, You say Don't put them
in the penitentiary.
Franchise Used as a Buffer.
The American franchise. he declar-
ed, had been used as a buffer by men
who pollutc ard prostitute elections
but when it comes to dealing proper
~ with them, amendments were re-
iected because OF the allegation that
they would spoil the symmetry of the
bill. If" he said, the Republican
party Is sincere and Is entitled to the
confidence or respect OF the people
it should practice upon this floor what
President Roosevelt breaches in his
message to Congress and on the
stump
Mr.. Perkins. of New York, a Repub-
lican. sought TO have the committee on
reyisiOns az the laws elucidate section
90 embracing the embezzIement of
rul'ic funds in the hands of United
States treasurers. In the ten days
discussion of the bin 1t was the first
time n Republican had halted its read
ing 10 criticize It,
Chairman Moon and others Of the
committee declared that the section
amply safeguardcd public officers in
cases OF dofalcation where II was clear
that they themselves were innocent of
wrong doing. The committee again
advised members having amendments
To introduce seperate bills covering
their objections. which only served to
elicit further attacks by Democrats.
Mr. Cochrane. New York. contended
that changes should he made in the
bill itself
An amendment by Nj. Ccchrane TO
make the statute applicable only when
treasurers or assistant treasurers
"willfally and negligently" fail safely
to keep the monies entrusted to their
care. wes lost.
The Democrats waged an unsuccess
fnl fight AGAINST committee amend
ment which modified the statute pro
hitting collecting and disbursng
officers from trading in public pro
perty so rs to make the penalty mot
more than" $4,000 instead of the
specific amount
Democrats Gair a Point.
An amendment by Mr.. De Almond,
OF Missouri, TO add imprisonment to
the penalty OF not more than ten
years. was defeated. He then chang
cd ii to make the Imprisonment not
more than one year. Amid loud De.
mocratic applause the amendment was
accepted by the committee.
Mr.. Knsterman. OF Wisconsin. de-
clared that the trouble with the bill
was that there were too many law
yers in the house to discuss it, II
he said the lawyers would retire and
let the manufacturers, the merchants
and the farmers have chance, they