Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-27
PROTECTION OF PRESIDENT
Report Declares Executive Must Be
Guarded Against Abuse.
VOTE IS ALMOST UNANIMOUS
New York Representative Defends
Right of Free Speech.

tidl Tile speech ueilN
cred in the House last week by Repre-
sentative Willett of New York, in which
the President was severely criticised. be
| expunged from the Congressional Rec
ord. the select committee appointed to
consider the speech submitted its report
| to the House today.
A letter written to the committee by
| Representative Willett urging that mis-
speech should remain on record accom-
panied the report
! After the clerk had finished the reading
of the resolution Representative Mann of
| Illinois. chairman of the special commit
tee asked for vote. saying he would
grant time to any member desiring to
speak on the subject. No requests re-
suited.
A viva voce vote was then taken EX-
cept for one or two half-hearted negatives
| from the democratic side. the sentiment
| of the members seemed unanimously in
favor of expunging the speech from, the
| Record.
| Report of Committee.
! Declaring that 'the consideration of the
speech i'll question involves considera-
| ton of what is and what is not orderly
debate in the House." the committees re-
| port defines the privileges of members of
the House and limitations of debate 1t
discusses at length the rela ationship Of the
| two Houses of Congress. and the re-
| lations which must be maintained between
| the House of Representatives and the
President in acceptance with the Con-
stitution.
The report declares that it would seem
that the peculiar constitutional duties of
| the House in relation to the power of
impeac ching the President do not preclude
a clp i'm Of diCtjnCfinu hntuepn thar
criticism of acts and conduct necessary
for performance of the constitute nal
duties of the House and criticism merely
personal and irritating.
1t also claims that ii is especially the
duty of the House itself to protect the
President from that personal abuse, in
nuendo or ridicule tending to excite dis
order in the House itself and to create
personal antagonism on the part Of the
President toward the House. and which
is not related to the power OF the House
under the Constitution to examine into
the acts and conduct of the President.
Your committee has carefully consid-
dered the remarks OF the gentlemen from
New York continues the report, land
finds that his remarks concerning the
President arc not justified by any consid-
GRAFTON of the constitutional duties or
powers of the House. that they transcend
proper LIMITS of criticism in debate; that
| they are destructive of that courtesy, re-
| spect and dignity which ought to be pre-
served, and that they ought not to remain
| in the permanent official record of the pro-
| ceedings in the House.
Editing Not Possible.
| The committee claimed that it was i'm
possible to separate the Objectionable re-
| marks from tine remainder of the speech.
and that the only way to eliminate the
| remarks considered out of order would
be 10 strike out the entire speech. 1t cited
as a precedent for such action by the
| House the speech of Robert p Kennedy
| of Ohio, attacking the Senate, made in
| the House on September >. 1890 which
| was excluded from the permanent record.
| In his letter to the committee Mr.. Will
| lett claims that he did not transcend the
rules of the House. but that he was en-
| tirely within his rights to make the
| speech. under the order of general debate
| Freedom of speech has always been held
| 50 sacred he declared that the utmost
! latitude has been allowed in debate. I
| RESPECTFULLY submit that to strike my
| speech from the record in this instance
! will establish precedent extremely dam
| gercus.
The resolution recommended by the spe-
| cial compittee for adoption by the House
reads:
Resolved that the speech of Mr. Will
lett printed in the daily Congressional
Record of January IS. 1869. contains Ian
guage improper and in violation of the
be stricken from the permanent record.
Mr.. Willett's Defense.
Mir. Wile;ts appeal for tie retention of
his speech in the record. and main; aim
ing the right of free speech is as fol-
lows:
House of Representatives.
Washington. d. c.. January -. 1909
'''ro the honorable special committee hav-
ing in charge the matter contained in
House resolution No. 494, adopted
January -. 1900.
Gentlemen: / have received informal
ton through your chairman that your
committee will meet Monday next to con-
slider any statement in writing | may de-
sire to present. and in pursuance there
with ! desire TO respectfully submit the
following:
1T is my serious and earnest conten-
ton that | was entirely within my rights
general debate. and in availing myself
of the freedom of debate and the uniform
| ly recognized latitude of discussion | but
followed the established custom and prac-
tice of the House, and did in nowise tran
scend the rules of the House they
have always heretofore been understood
by the members of the House.
1t will serve no useful purpose for me
to cite numerous instances where personal
reference has been made by members to
non-members. members to members and
members TO the chief executive in the
course of debate in language, taken sepa-
rately or collectively. infinitely stronger
than my own-this committee Is composed
of members of long service in this House
and citation of cases is unnecessary
Freedom of speech has always been
| held so sacred that the utmost latitude
has been allowed in debate. and | re-
spectfully submit that to strike my speech
! from the record in this instance will es-
tablish a precedent extremely dangerous
because It will mean. in the light of pa ST
precedents, that the House has at last
surrendered the proposition that no MEM
ber can discuss any subject the discussion
| of which happens 10 displease the ma
| jorty.
Urging again my sincere conviction
| that the speech should remain on rec
ord. assure the committee of my SINGER.
respect, WILLIAM WILLETT, Jr''
NO TARIFF COMMISSION.
House Committee Not Likely to Con-
! slider Taft Proposition.