Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-09
BITTER SPEECHES FROM FLOOR
DEFENSE OF HOUSE POSITION
congressman Claim Right and Assert Ability to interpret the
Presidents Utterances According to Usual Standards Of
English and Declare Recent Message Unwaranted Attack
on Their Official Integrity
LEASED wIRE.l

AL SPECIAL LEASED WIRE.1
committee, addressed the house a,
follows:
ITO your committee were referred
certain passages contained in the an
nual message of the president. We
We're to decide whether in our opinion
those portions of the message were
couched in such form that a proper
regard for the dignity of great leg
islative body should forbid their re-
ception We are of the opinion that
the portions of the message do consti-
tute breach of the privileges of this
house and fha+ tn ~efore. follo~~ ae
evious cases,
-.yusv snould decline to consider
them.
with the merits of the question
with reference to the ase of the Sc
cret scapicc mon this committee has
nothing to do. We fully recognize the
right Of the president to express his
disapproval of legislation adopted by
the congress, to 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
But your committee has to con-
slider the criticisms made by the presi-
dent upon the motives of congress in
its action last session to consider his
suggestions as to future legislation,
and to report whether congress, with
proper self-respect can receive them,
1t is said in the annual message that
the chief argument in favor of the
provision was that the congressman
c1, N h. fp-t a
gated by secret service men, and this
is repeated in the special message. If
this was the chief argument, it must
have been meant by this argument
that the majority of members were led
to vote in favor of the offending pro-
vision Your committee is unable to
share in this belief In the arguments
of the house the gentleman from
Kentucky, speaking in favor of the
amendment, asked if it was intended
that if a member of congress was
guilty OF unbecoming conduct, the de-
partment would be warranted in in
vestigating his conduct by secret serv-
ice men. And the gentleman from
New York, opposing the amendment |
stated that we all knew. as lawyers, |
that we were not federal officers; that |
we were component members of the |
government and there was no one over |
US. Then the gentleman from Ken
lucky said, Notwithstanding the views
OF the gentleman from New York,
the private conduct of a member of
congress had once been Investigated
by secret service men, bnt .he gentle
man from New York denied even this
one and solitary instance. and stated
the investigation in the case cited had
not been made by a member of the
secret service. but by "A police officer
of Washington.
we do not think that even the
most timOrOus Of congressman could
have been induced by these arguments
to vote in favor of the amendment
from fear that If he voted mo- the Sc
cret service might ferret out his Sc
cret sins.
Nor does it seem that statements
made In 1904, even by a newspaper
reporter. are convincing evidence of
the motive which actuated congress-
men in their votes in 1908 The
statement made in newspapers arc
sometimes questioned even at the
White House. |;
"The statement contained in the I
that the chief argument in Z
favor of the provision was that the
did not want themselves I
10 be Investigated can have but one {
meaning. II means that congress s
voted for the measure from an inn I
proper motive Any congressman q
whose vote can be determined by un- 4
to have his own conduct G
investigated by secret service men or Z
BY any other men. must surely be in j
lear OF the law II IL was believed
hat majority of this body were In
ear that their acts might be investi-
sated and their crime discovered. the I
aspect Of the people. which Is impor- O
ant for the republic that congress a
hould possess. would be impaired If y
lot destroyed e
1t Is dangerous 10 the republic that v
large portion OF our people should q
lave their confidence shaken in the IA
Judges who Interpret the laws; equal \
y dangerous that their confidence I,