The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-05
MAY CENSURE
 THE PRESIDENT
Sassy Message Causes
 Indignation.
The President Seems to be Simply Spelling for Fight With Con- xresn Before He ouits the
 White House.
aY AI.FREp '. sToFER.

ciai,)-The sassy" message of Presi- dent Roosevelt today in answer to the House of Representatives, and Tn which he practically defies the popu- lar branch of Congress. has caused variety of comment here. Most of the Republican leaders are indignant, but just what their next move will be is hard to say. At this writing there Is an undercurrent of feeling that a resolution of censure for the President will be ultimately passed. though there is. a wide diff ference of opinion as to how such a resolution should be worded. There is not the, slightest doubt that Theodore Roosevelt is simply spelling for fight with Congress before be quits the White House He has shown this plainly in what he has had to say re- garding this secret service muddle and in the Brownsville squabble. but whether or not the Republicans in the House will have the nerve to come up to the scratch, remains to be seen.
 There are two Democratic members on the special committee who are ready and anxious to try conclusions with the President. They are Will Hams, of Mississippi. and Lloyd, of Missouri. Congressman Perkins of the Rochester District of New York. Is one Republican on the committee who is highly incensed over the filings made at the House by MT. Roosevelt. and he wants to strike back with might and main. Much will depend, however, on how Cannon. Dalzeil and sherman feel. Some of the Republi= cans say privately that no matter what action the House takes. the plain people will listen only to what emnates from Teddy" and for this reason they hesitate to get into rcd- hot tussle with the man in the White House.
 Representative Hobson. of Alabama. mingled a good deal among members today after the message was read He seems to think there is going to be resolution of censurs for the Presi- deHt. He also thinks that the House has now drawn the fire Of the Presi- dent and to use military term, he has exposed all his artillery and the House knows exactly where to attack him.
 The omnibus claims bill. which was to have been called up in the Senate Wednesday, has been made @ special order for the 14th.
 Senator Fulton, of Oregon, chair man of. the committee from which the measure was reported, asked for a postponement because a number of Southern senators are away and they wish to be on hand to offer some ad! ditional amendments before the bill is passed. The bulk of the appropria- tions carried in this bill are for South ern claimants. . somewhat solicitous about the pros- poets of having a river and harbor bill this session. The understanding is that the Republican leaders are trying to prevent the passage of any general measure of this sort.
 If this proves true, all agitation will doubtless be commenced at once to try to force action which could easily be done by the joining of forces handing proper Improvements of the waterways.
 House Laughs Asnls,
 Washington, Jan. 4-Unusual atten- ton was paid in the House of Repre- sentatives today to the reading of a message from the President replying to a resolution of that body calling on him for an explanation of the intima- tion in his annual message that mem bers of Congress were afraid to be in- vestigated by the secret service.
 The galleries were packed to the doors and their occupants likewise Ax- hibited the greatest interest in what the President had to say:
 The Presidents specific references to certain speeches by Messrs. Tawney. Minnesota: Smith, Iowa: Sherley. Ken lucky. and Fitzgerald, New York, when the provision for the restriction of the operations of the secret service was up for discussion, and also to Mir. Busby. the Speakers private secretary. called out a storm of laughter. The Speaker several times vigorously rapped for order.
 As the reading of the message pro- caeded, many of the members chuckled, others laughed outright. while some were prone to joke with their neigh bora.
 When the reading had been concluded. Mir. Perkins. New York. Chairman of the special committee, which originally the matter, moved that the message be referred to that commit tee.
 "Is an amendment in order to that motion?" inquired MT. Grigss. Geor- sia, in a deliberate voice.
 "It is." replied the Speaker.
 Then" said MT. Griggs. T move that this message be returned to the Presi- dent"
 "oh. no. mo-" shouted several of Mfr. GrIggs's Democratic colleagues.
 Mir Perkins insisted that the message should go to the special committee, and in the meantime Mir. Griggs withdrew his motion. saying he took that action at the request of his party leaders
 The message was referred.