Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-09

chosen to continue in office. In this
matter we stand not only for ourselves
but for those VINO sent us here. The
eachment of those who are chosen
is the Impeachment of those who chose.
THE President says that no one
holds the dignity of the Congress of
the United States in higher regard
| than he does. 1t would therefore be
| a thing to be deplored if, as a result
| of any unfortunate inadvertance of
| language, any untoward combination
of words, expressions should remain
| in his message which might be inter-
| preted by the people as lessening the
| dignity and thereby weakening the au
| thority of the Congress. 1t is said in
| the message. the criminals should be
| prosecuted if found in the legislative
branch of the government, and, with
| this we wholly agree. But the Presi-
| dent adds If this is not considered, a
| special exception could be made in the
law prohibiting the use of Secret Ser
vice officers in investigating members
of Congress- In other words, it is sug
gested that we pass a law which VIII
facilitate the exposure of other crirni-
nails. but will protect ourselves.
eff majority of the Congress stand
in favor of the exposure of their own
misdeeds they would be ready to vote for
such law, but such is not the case, and
against it we must protest. If Congress
listens tamely and timidly to reflections
upon the character of its members and
it's honesty of purpose, it will deserve and
it will certainly receive the contempt of
the public. We feel that the suggestions
in the Presidents message the Congress
should refuse to meekly receive and mild
! ly consider.
During the long centuries our English
| speaking ancestors struggled and bled
| that representative government might
be established among English people.
! Our revolutionary forefathers more than
t a century ago, struggled and bled that
t our government should be a representa-
tive government; that the laws of the
American people should be passed by the
representatives chosen by the American
people. The Congress of the United
States today exists as result of centu-
. | ries of struggle for popular government
Let every man who is a member of il
vote on this question in the manne,
which seems to him most worthy of the
| traditions of which we are the heirs, OF
| which institution we are the protectors
: | and of the people of whom we are tbs
| representatives"
AS was the case when he first spoke
| on the question before the holidays, Mr.
! 4 Perkins was frequently interrupted by
applause. Upon the conclusion of his
| remarks he submitted the committees re-
port which, after quoting from the Pres
{ dents message, was as follows:
I The Committee Report.
Understanding this language to be :
reflection on the integrity of it's member
! ship and aware of it's own constitutions
luty as to it's membership, the House il
| respectful ternls called on the Prcsiden
| for any information that would justify
S the language of the message or assist
it in it's constitutional duty to purge it.
i self of corruption.
i The President in his message of Jan.
denies that the paragraphs of the annua
- message cast reflections on the integrity
of the House; attributes to the House al
! entire failure to understand my message,
| declares that he has made no charge O.
: corruption against any members of thi:
| House, and by implication states that ht
has no proof of corruption on the part O.
any member of this House.
whether the House in it's resolu-
| ton on Dec. 1, 1908. correctly inter
y preted the meaning of the words used
: | by the President in his annual message
| or whether it misunderstood that Ian
:, | guage as the President implies, will
be judged now and in the future ac-
: | cording to the accepted interpretations
= | of the English language. This House
charged only with its responsibility to
the people of the United States and its
, | obligation to transmit unmpaired to
| the future the representative institu-
- lions inherited from the past, and to
preserve it's own dignity, must insist
+ on it's own capacity to understand the
import of the Presidents language
We consider the language of the Presi-
dent in his message of Dec. s, 1905 I'M
justified and without basis of fact, and
1 that it constitutes breach of the privi-
leges of the House; therefore, be it,
Resolved. that the House In the exer-
else of it's constitutional prerogatives
declines to consider any communication
from any source which is not in its
own judgment respectful and be it
further
Resolved, that the special committee
on the state of the Union be discharg-
ed from any consideration of so much
of the Presidents annual message as
relates to the Secret Service and is
above set forth and that the said por-
ton of the message be laid on the ia
BILE; and. be it further,
, Resolved, that the message of the
President sent to the House on Jan. d.
1909, being unrespOnsive to the inquiry
of the House and constituting an inva-
sion of the privileges of this House
by questioning the motives and intelli
gence of members in the exercise of
their constitutional rights and func
lions be laid on the table,
When Perkins concluded he yielded time
to his colleague on the committee, Den
by, who said:
To-day your special committee offers a
resolution intended to make clear the at