Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-02-25
Texan Attacks Proposed Act Upon
Constitutional Grounds.
BURTON OFFERS AMENDMENTS
They Are Designed to Reconcile
Differences Over Investments.
POSTAL BILL IN THE HOUSE
Chairman Weeks Explains Pro-
visions of Appropriation Act for
1O11-service Grows
Rapidly.

WASHINGTON, Feb. A.-Decided prog
ress was made in the senate today towards
the disposition Of the postal savings bank
bill. In addition TO a striking speech by
Senator Bailey and an amendment offered
by Senator b. tton, which Is offered as
oompromisc of the various differences
on the quest ,>ashe disposal of the funds
arising FIRE a 20 psNtal deposits, Senator
Carter srNuld nj oaet lr many previous fu-
tile eff W ting next Thursday.
March 9, ihre, Tor vote ON the bill.
There was no objection to naming day,
and senators appeared pleased that a time
had been fixed for the final disposition of
the measure, which It must be confessed,
has dragged its progress through the SEN
ate.
Mr.. Carter made his request Immediately
after the close of Senator l3ailey's speech.
The time was we'll selected for the reason
that many senators have been waiting to
har from the Texas senator before agree
ing to the fixing Of any time for the ul-
innate disposal Of the bill
After Mr.. Bailey had concluded many
expressed the opinion that he had thrown
! much tight upon constitutional questions
involved in the subject He had a splendid
audience, both on the floor of the senate
and in the galleries and his speech was
Mr.. Owen gave notice that he would
speak tomorrow on his proposed amend
ment, substituting a government guaran-
tee OF bank deposits for the suggested
postal banks.
Mr.. B0iley's Speech.
Mr.. Bailey discussed the difenernt clauses
OF the constitution, under which the saw
ings bank bill had found support. Be
ginning with the commerce clause, he de-
clared 1t to be a grotesque absurdity to
say that such an institution as a postal
savings bank system could be established
under 1t.
Referring to the contention that the bni
was Justified under the borrowing clause
OF the constitution, he asked its advocates
whether the real purpose OF the measure
was that Of borrowing money II it was
then' that 1t was constitutional but con-
ceiving the object Of this clause to be that
OF enabling the government TO persorm
its tnuctions in time of emergency he con-
tended that this measure would not Justify
the contention made under this clause
customs houses were as numerous as
postoffices, said Senator Bailey, thew would
have been as apt to be chosen for tbis
business. The business proposed was a
purely. fiscal operation he declared. and
maze no pretense of any connection with
the operations of the postal servioe He
eontended that the citizens had a right to
do with money as he pleased, as he had
with any other property.
Rights of Citizens.
IF you can bring money from IT'S hid
ing place in one way you can in anotber ;,
he said. You have just as much power IN
compel the citizen to supply money by
! threatening him with punishment as YOU
nave to tempt him by guaranteeing to him
profit on it. If you can employ a pre-
MUM you can employ penalty. You have
no more right to prescribe what a citizen
shal do with his money than YOU have TO
say what he shall do with his land"
He then attempted to show that the mr.
pose Of the bill was to encourage economy
and thrift, and he quoted the message Of
President Roosevelt of 1907 in support Of
this contention, entering upon an argument
TO show that this was not part OF the duty
OF ne government but, on the other hand
that II was an unwarranted obtrusion OF
the government into the affairs OF its citl-
zens.
Entering then into a discussion OF the abb
stract rights of citizenship Mr. Bailey de-
clared it was a libel to say that people
could not take care Of their own money.
and declared that only through struggle
and suffering could strong people be de-
veloped. He contended that people must
learn to take the chances and stand upon
their own responsibility in business affairs.
Mr.. BurtOn's Amendments.
In an effort to reconcile the differences
among senator's. Senator Burton today in
troduced an amendment to the section pro-
viding for the disposal OF savings funds.
-Four methods OF investing the funds are
provided They direct, first, for a reserve
adequate to meet Withdrawals, then the
provision permits the purchase of the se-
ourities OF the national government, invest
ment in state or city bonds as authorized
by the Vreeland-Aldrich emergency cur
rency law and in loans to banks on ap-
proved security.