Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-12
MINORITY NOT IN ROW
Censure to President Affair of
Republican Senators.
RETALIATION UP TO THEM
Democratic Colleagues Willing to
Vote for Resolution.
NO SKIN OFF THEIR NOSES
Assert That Criticism in Message
Uphold Dignity Of Congress.

No democratic senator will introduce
the resolution by means Of which the
Senate expects to censure President
Roosevelt next week for his criticism OF
Congress in comments on the secret serv-
ice in the recent annual message. Several
prominent democratic senators made this
understood today.
The way the democratic senator's look
supon the matter was clearly explained
by one of them-a southerner-who,
though he says he has never had a per-
sonal quarrel with the President, has not
spoken to him for the past six years,
merely because he doesn't like him and
his methods.
This is distinctly the affair Of the re-
publicans in the Senate as we'll as In the
House, declared this senator. They
should by all means act first. Have you
ever heard any hint that the secret serv-
Ice was employed to investigate demo-
cratic senator? Are not the republicans
the only ones who have been criticised by
the President?
Willing to Vote for Censure.
Il want to say. however. that if the
republicans do introduce resolution cen
suring the President for what he said in
his message democrats in the Senate will
vote for 1t. consider the Presidents state
ment as insulting to Congress. And
believe every other democratic senator
Will not hesitate a moment in voting to
uphold the dignity and honor of Congress.
II know the republicans have resolu-
tion. the purpose Of which is to expunge
from the records the Objectionable por-
ton Of the Presidents message. I don't
know who will introduce 1t or when 1t will
be introduced. But / know how l will act
when it is introduced
There is disposition today among re-
publican senator's to defer action on the
message until after the special committee
appointed yesterday by the House shall
have reported and the House shall have
acted upon it's report. II this is the case
the Senate will not take up the matter
next Monday or Tuesday, as 1t was be-
lieved it would do.
Presidents Friends Not to Fight.
A republican senator, in close touch with
what is going on, said today that he die
not believe there would be any serious op.
position by friends OF the President in the
Senate to the passage of resolution OF
mild censure. The matter of fight or
the floor over the matter, he intimated
would depend altogether on the charac-
ter Of the resolution.
The strongest form which such a reso-
luton could take he said would be to
expurge from the records the disparagins
statements of the President. I do not
believe the form of the resolution has yet
been determined upon. We may wait to
see what the final action of the House
is"
Committee Will Not Hurry.
There was no meeting today of the spe-
cial committee appointed yesterday by
Speaker Cannon to consider that portion
of the Presidents message in which Ian:
guage is used which is held to reflect upon
members of Congress.
The committee will not meet until Mon
day and probably will not bring in a re-
port until just before Congress adjourns
for the Christmas holidays.
There is little for the committee to do.
1t will have no investigation to make. It's
principal duty will be to draw up reso-
luton making a recommendation as to the
disposition of that portion of the Pres
ident's message relating to the secret
service.
1t is we'll known that this recommends
ton will be TO the effect that the offend
ing section be laid upon the table.
When the resolution comes up for action
in the House there probably will be some
debate upon it, 1t is not be ieved that
any member will take advantage of the
opportunity to roast the President in a
sensational way.
One reason that the committee will not
bring in its report earlier is that time will
be given 10 members of Congress to cool
off.