The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-19
CONGRESSMAN DENT.
shows How Some Members Disregn ride
Their ObliKations.


shows How Some Members Disregardcd
Their Obligations.
Washington Special to New York
Evening Post.
II the standard which Senator La
Toilette has set for himself should be
applied to the entire Senate, 1T IL al
most impossible to tell just how many
Senators would be debarred from vot-
ing on the various schedules OF the
pending tariff bill. The wealth OF the
Senate, particularly among Eastern
and far Western Senators 10 consid-
cradle and II IL only natural to sup
pose that these Senators have their
money invested In many enterprises
directiy affected by the tariff seized
ules. 1t has been asserted by reputa-
Bile men engaged In the silk trade in
New York city that Senator Aldrich
Is a stockholder In the Royal Weaving
and prosperous silk min. The silk
Finance Committee is higher than the e
existing Dingiey rates. and an increase
S S,f ne ne ,s duties proposed by the Payne
Association Of Importers of Laces and
Embroideries. charges:
striking instance OF the way In
which special interests are protected
by some of the provisions Of the Aid
rich tarin bill, Is found in paragraph
1874. That paragraph after enumerat-
ing number of machines. the duty on
t wnicn Is nxed at 80 per cent. provides
ana lace making machines shall be
45 per cent, but places upon the free
llst Tor period OF two years two lace
making making ma sds,n the Levers and Co
manufacturing concern. and only one
which Will profit extensively BY this
exemption, limited as 1t is to two years
the american Textile Company Of
Pawtucket r. l."
1t is not charged, in this instance.
tnat Mr.. Aldrich Is q stakeholder in
the American Textile Company. Sena-
tors Eikins and Scott OF West Virginia
are OF course, directly interested in
schedules. Senator Scott's especial in.
terest in the glass and pottery sched-
uies was related In some detail In the
correspondence OF The Evening Post
p ran some days ago. Senator War
ren lWyoming), Is commonly credited
with having sheep on a thousand nils.
A summary review of the list OF Sena :
tors would disclose other names more
OF less airectiy allied with basic In
teEssts OF tariff controversy.
Inc direct peouniary interest of Sem
ators and Representatives in the tariff
pm began 20 appeef 80 early as the
Ms eans co DsrGrs ne HOUSE Wsys ana
resentatiye Fordney (Michiganl, is one
of the Republican members Of tbat
committee During the hearing on the
lumber schedule Mr.. Fordney said,
been in the lumber business ever since
was q boy. Later he said, referr-
ing to lumber manufacturing: II am
IN the manufacturing business in the
again, referring to the lumber business
on the Pacific coast: II am IN buSi-
ness out there" While 4he Payne bill
was under discussion in the House Mr..
Eordney was the conspicuous leader of
those who sought the highest rates Of
duty on lumber
Ex-Representative NJ. E. Rhodes
1Miesour), appeared before the
ways and Means COMMITTEES on No
the duty on crude barytes from sew
enty-five cents TO IS per ton. Mr..
Rhodes read one of his own letters
IN Wnieh he had said: 7 have per-
cause am interested in the mining of
barytes." He said to the COMMITTEES:
when ! was in Congress / introduced
q bill into the FiftyNinth Congress
80 a ton on crude ore, because I be-
lieved at that time that that would
give us ample protection"
{. THESE instances Of personal pecun-
ed to private parties by Congress are
not isolated instances. These merely
cropped out" at the hearings. In
the present stage Of the eyolution of
member pecuniarlly interested in q
contract to be awarded by the council
Is not allowed to vote upon H. and in
many cities members are absolutely
esf n sneh to n9ys any 10 Rs
members not only introduce and vote
on bills for tariff favors In which they
are pecuniarily interested, but they
for votes for their own.
Representative Dent lAlabama) was
very much interested during the pro-
gress OF the debate in the House to
NIT upon the floor that they themselves
had direct personal interest in the
tariff upon certain articles specified in
the Payne bill. Mr.. Dent IL q new
member, and this sort OF thing struck
him as unbecoming. He says:
Upon examination Of the rules 1
found that Representative who has
any direct personal or pecuniary in
terest In any pending measure IS ex-
cused from voting. ! found further.
MANUAL part Of the rules Of the
House that such Representative not
only Is not entitled to vote, but shall
withdraw from the House when the
being considered and determined. This
Is not only a general principle of par
llamentary law, but principle of COM
mon right and simple Justice. which
common decency demands should not
be overlooked"
In a brief speech, while the Payne
bill was being considered In the
House, Mr.. Dent called attention to
his discovery in the rules, AMI asked: :
should there not be an invsstiga lion
of different members who have direct
personal and pecuniary interest IN the
result of this legislation; and should
not the rule excluding them not only
from casting their votes, but from the
floor OF the House while the measure
is being considered, be rigidiy en-
forcedT No heed was given 70 Mr..
This new Alabama member displayed
his inexperience in what Senat )r Nell
son has defined as the game II ''you
tickle me and I'll tickle you." ny cry
Ing out: For member to sand
upon this floor and boldly proclaim
tbat he has direct personal interest
in pending bill-that its passage will
put money in his pocket-and then tn
dertake to vote upon 1t places him in
an indefensible position, and Yet no
one seems to be shocked at Ihe idea.
mine his own case, the whole country
would rise up in arms at the appalling
spectacle. Yet Is there any difference
between Judge and legislator IN this
respect? Is II not equally wrong Cor
man to vote for a law for his own
for one to construe the la in his own
case? Is 1t possible that The moral
sense Of the people has been bluDtt d
under the system OF prutaceian until
II Is no longer considered even bad
taste for a Representative 20 forget
his duty .. and vote for his own private
Mr.. Dent is new to these sesnes snd