The San Francisco call., 1909-01-09
STATESMEN RESENT
! PRESIDENT WORDS
House Adopts Resolution De-
clining to Consider 'Disre-
spectfuI' Message
Bennett of New York Says Ac=
tiOn Will Have Nc influence
on Executives History

WASHINGTON. Jan. S.-Having
given consideration to the president
further views regarding the secret
service contained in his massage to the
house of representatives last MONDAY.
the special committee appointed TO deai
with the subject today brought IN It's
| final report
Accompanying it was resolution
which declared it to be the sense of the
house that it ssiould decline TO consider
any communidk from any source
which was not respectful, recommend
ling that the objectionable portion or
the presidents annual message be lalu
on the table and that similar acton pc
] taken with respect to the message Oh
last Monday because of its being 'un-
responsive to the inquiry of the house
as to what the president meant when
he said. referring to the limitation
placed upon the field of operations OF
the secret service, that the chief "argu-
ment in favor of the provision was tnat
the congressman did not themselves
wish to be investigated.
When Chairman Perkins of New York
Of the special committee arose to make
his report, he faced an. almost full
membership. while the galleries were
packed with interested spectators.
Tawney, Smith of Ohio, Sherley and
/ Fitzgerald were on the floor prepared
to resent what they deemed to be the
Iinsinuations of the president upon them
as members of the committee on ap-
propriations. They were not alone in
their Indignation. Indeed, For some
time the feelings of the members had
been growing more and more intense,
and some of them have been giving
way to their sentiments in language
which fully testified to their wounded
pride.
UPHoLDs HOUSES DIGNITY
Perkins addressed the house as fol-
lows
To your committee were referred
certain passages contained in the
annual message of the president
We We're to decide whether in our
opinion those portions of the mes
sage were couehed in such form
that proper regard for the dignity
of great legislative body should
forbid their reception We are of
the opinion that some portions of
the message do constitute breach
of the privileges of this house and
that. therefore. following the prece-
dent set in similar cases. the house
should decline to consider them.
With the merits of the question
with reference to the use OF the
secret service men this committee
has nothing TO do. We fully rec
oSnize the right of the president
to express his disapproval of legis-
| 1dJlOn adopted Dy Tie congress. 10
point out its defects and to ask that
they be remedied.
The question will doubtless be
considered by congress and such
action taken as may seem to be in
the public interest.
SAYS PRESIDENT VEERED
After Perkins had concluded hi:
speech on the secret service resolution
he gave way to DENLY, who in the
course of his remarks said that th'
president had veered from the patti
of recommendation and just criticism
into the realm of personal abuse, speeu
lation and innuendo.
During the discussion Secretary Latts
appeared with three messages from tn,
White House and his appearance was
greeted with roars of laughter. TIL,
: MESA ge proved to be of a routine char
acter and was not allowed to interrup
the proceedings for any length of time
Bennett of New York opposed tn,
adoption of the Perkins resolution ant
declared that If the house should ac
cept it, its action would have no mor'
influence on the character which his
tory would give to President Roosevelt
than had the action of the senate oi
: President Tyler's record in connection
with his attitude toward Andrew Jack
son.
I A number of other representative
made addresses in favor of the resolu
ton.
Following a speech by Driscoll o
New York. defending the president
{ Gardner of Massachusetts sprang a sur
e prise by offering amendment strik
e ing out the whole text of the repor
I and setting forth that the house ha
the utmost confidence in every mem
ber of the committee on appropria
tions."
The amendment was lost. % to 225.
e The roll by unanimous consent, wa
n called on the adoption of the resolution
e which was carried by vote of 21
2 to 50.