The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-04-01


would operate to the credit Of any 81
his colleagues
with reference to the committee re.
sport on the McCumber bih. ne said;
The McCumber bill for general grair
grading was never gotten out Of his
/ committee until Senator Hansbrougf
was taken sick and was unable to be
present when the hearings were com.
pleted and Senator Doiliver reported
IN favor on the bin with strong recon.
n1endations. This bill, however, was
/ gotten out of this committee too late
TO get nearing in the senate without
unanimous consent, the appropriation
| bills and bills of special order taking
up the entire time But the favorable
report from that committee, without q
single change, Is long step in secur-
ing the legislation"
Continuing he said: Senator Hans
brough's difficulty has been that he
has never BEEN able to work with
any of his colleagues. His bitterest
opponents at the last primary were
two mousse members, each of whom
had gone so far as to declare that he
would ont remain in the house lie SEN
ator Hansbrough remained in the
SENATE. Being on every important
committee in which the state had spe-
cial interest, he was in a position tc
see that nothing went through that
would be Of benefit to any OF his coll
! leagues
| Senator Hansbrough is also charged
of duplicity To quote "EIe then
attempted to put something upon the
agricultural approprie bill which
ne knew absolutely we'll would be
subject to point Of order and which
he also must have known was both
demonstrations and irnpracticable
His futile effort to deceive the senate
and his weak attempt to meet the OBJ
jections all appear in the congression-
al record. He knew that 1t would go
out on point of order. He knew that
Senator McCumber, who had worked
faithfully for an honest grain grading
bill, would not attempt to sustain
what he knew and what everyone
knew would be set back to American
grain legislation.
In trying to make his political play,
however, he nearly lost the agricul-
tural bill one OF the important ele-
ments for the interest of the farming
public. As the bill passed the house
1t contained this provision: For in
vestigating the handling, grading and
transportation of grain and the fixing
of definite grades thereof, $52,440."
There was no necessity of striking
striking out that provision in the bill.
It Is an old provision that has been
in the bin before, and through the in
vestigation made under it. much be-
nefit has been gained for the farmer in
the matter of grades. The amendment
which Senator HansbrOugh got at
tached in his committee struck out
this valuable house provision and
then attempted to reassert It irnme--
diately connected with another
amendment which could clearly go
out on point of order. This was the
provision that whatever the secretary
of agriculture was requested by the
grain growers in a community he
should appoint an expert grader for
that community. Anyone at a glance
SQhAA C1l0AAN SEC LIlC AOttOWAH6 ODJGG~
tons First, any single senator could
take the whole thing. out by an OBJ
lection. Second, such a provision
would require an army Of inspectors
without limit as would prevent anyone
from voting for 1t on its merits. Third,
no provision whatever was made for
initiating the system. Fourth, it was
absolutely unconstitutional as 1t did
not relate to grain entering into in
terstate commerce. A somewhat SINH
liar provision was made concerning
cotton in the same bill. 1t Immediate
ly went off on a point of order made
by Senator Aldrich. When this mat
ter came up the point of order to
strike it out was made by Senator
Koan, and the whole thing would have
Immediately gone out had not an ur-
gent fight been made by Senator Nc
Cumber during the time the bill was
under consideration that day and the
following day to retain the old feature
which was in the house bill. Senator
Hansbrough could not for single
moment attempt to justify his mea-
sure. as is shown by colloquy be-
tween Senator Bailey and himself
Senator Bailey states:
1.-THE question, i desire to ask the
senator from North dakota Senator
Hansbrough) Is where the congress of
the United States obtains it's au-
tnority to authorize the grading of
wheat"
Mr.. Hansbrough THE senator has
raised great question which think
we all understand. The senator is
better able to answer 1t than I am,
the senator being great constitution
al lawyer"
This is the only answer which Sen
ator Hansbrough could give to that"
In laudation OF the junior senator's
stand. Colonel Lounsbes'ry says:
ut seems, however, that Senator
McCumber immed ately took up the
'cudgel and showed clearly that while
congress could have no authority for
grading wheat before 1t entered into
interstate commerce. that it clearly
had the authority to grade 1t after It
entered into Interstate commerce.. The
colloquy which followed on that day
and on the next day between Senator
Bailey and Senator McCumber showed