The Washington herald., 1909-01-15

The House Of Representatives yester-
Gay by unanimous vote laid on the table
Mr.. BOutelTs resolution FOR the printing
Of 100000 copies OF the debate OF the
Presidents Secret Service issue in the
House last Friday.
The sentiment was that Congress
should not spend public money TO de-
fend Itself from attack o. make known
its side OF a controversy.
The resolution reads as follows:
That there be printed for the use OF
the House Of Representatives 100000
copies OF the debate and proceedings n
the House OF Representatives Friday,
January S. 1909, concerning that portion
Of the annual message Of the President
relating to the Secret Service, 10 be de-
livered through the folding-roOm, ex-
ceptiag 2,00G copies, which shall be as
signed 10 the Gocument-room."
II was reported TO the House by Mr..
Lands. OF Indiana. chairman Of the
Committee on Printing. with a recon-
mendatiOn that II pass. II was known
that personally Mr.. Lands was opposed
TO the passage OF the resolution, but he
was loyal 10 the contrary mandate Of
his committee
Had No Supporters.
The resolution had no friends AMI il
met violent objection.
Mr. Lands said that the estimated
cost Of printing 2O9eo0o copies in pamphlet
form and enveloping them was S6SS.6SS,
and that If the Record form were used,
the cost would be SS0oo or SS.000 more.
Messrs. Townsend. Of Michigan; Foster,
Of Vermont. and Mann. Of Illinois. Wig
orously attacked the resolution, declaring
that the issue OF the pamphlets would be
an unwarrauteG action Of members OF
the House at public expense The finish
ing touches were put on by Msssrs VII
liams. of Mississippi. and Smith. Of Iowa,
both OF whom were roUndIy apDlauded.
I take il that no man in this House. -
NIr Williams began. more strenuousiy
reprobated the language Of the President
when. under the guise Of his constitu-
tional right 20 send messages 10 the
House. he assumed the schoolmaster at
ttude, and added TO that an offensive
and unnecessary insulting tone TO convey
statements that. in the opinion OF the
HcUse, are not true
Having said that muCh.fI want 10 say
that am opposed 20 the passage Of this
resolution 1 believe in fair fighting.
We knew when We took up the cudgel
that the President threw down that he
could get the ear Of the country for a
message. and that we could not get the
ear Of the country for speeches made in
opposition.
THAT situation was as patent to Us
then as it IS now. We defended our
honor We refused 10 receive from the
President Of the United States any re-
buks Of US. and We undertook 10 refuse
70 receive a message which. in our opiu-
ion. stated things as facts that were not
facts.
Not Fair Fighting.
1t does not seem 10 me that It would
be fair fighting by OUT own authority TO
give ourselves additional weapons 20
those with which We entered upon the
Al -At4t----lA- ~ -A-dl%s 4 AAAAAAn NAAeNA
gentlemen are Understanding the com
mon sense Of the American people when
they take for granted that the American
people do not understand and will not
understand the real issue between the
President and the House. That real issue
was simply a denial on the part OF the
House that anybody, anywhere. had a
right 10 insult the House. whether Il be
the President Of the United States or any
body else.
1T was simply a measure that any
gentleman takes when somebody else
sends him an offensive letter. either
throwing Il into the waste basket or
sending it bark after being opened What
We did with the President was, broadly,
TO send back what he said. because IT was
insulting and offensive. and, in our opin-
ion, was untrue
Does not the gentleman think that
when one gentleman assures another
gentleman OF his perfect lack Of any in
tention to insult. that that gentleman
ought TO accept his word for it?" asked
Mr.. Douglas, Of Ohio.
Added Insult TO Injury.
Mr.. Williams replied: IF ! wrote the
gentleman a note accusing him Of being
actuated by corrupt influences. and he
wrote back to me and said, Your note IS
offensive and then after that I said to
him. I did not mean TO be offensive. bat
all the same you have been actuated by
corrupt Influences would say that the
gentleman had apologized In words, while
he had added Insult TO injury in fact,
and that is what the President did. The
supplemental message Of the President
was neither apology nor an explanation
of the offense TO the House.
Concluding the discussion, Mr.. Smith
said:
Z believe the passage Of this resolution
viii be unwise. I know that the personal
opinion Of the chairman Of the Commit
tee on Printing was that 1t was unwise.
The only possible excuse for this print
ing, in my judgment, is that owing to
the volume OF the proceedings of that
day It did not receive that general expan-
sive treatment by the press that was
given 10 the Presidents message. which
was more brief than all that was en-
braced in the Record here, and so the
country 7eceived a statement in full Of
the Presidents position and only a par
tial statement Of the position of the
House.
Il, for one. am willing 10 go TO my
constituents upon my record in this
House unaided by an appropriation by
the Federal Treasury"