Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-29
DENIES FARMERS
ARE ANARCHISTS
CALIFORNIA; CONGRESSMAN
CAUSES PROTEST
SMITH AND MYRIcK ENGAGE IN
CONTROVERSY
Charges of Robbery, Graft and Trea-
son Are Freely Hurled at Meet
ing of House Committee
on Postoffiees
ASSOCIATED 1,ressl


WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S. - "The
American republic can't stand forever
with this sort of thing ringing in the
peoples ears-these anarchistic state
ments," angrily declared Representa-
tive Smith of California today. ad-
dressing Herbert Myrick, representa-
tive of the Agricultural Press league.
Myrick was a witness before the
house committee on postoff1ces and
post roads at its hearing on the pro-
posed increased rates of postal rates
on second -class mail matter.
Representative Smith was referring
to an editorial which Mr.. Myrick ad-
mitted came from publication which
he represented.
81 protest that the farmers of this
country are not anarchists, and l pro-
test that [ am not a traitor hotly
retorted Mr.. Myrick, who shortly be-
fore had further alluded as being re-
sponsible for traitorous utterances.
Mr.. Myrick was the principal wit
ness before the committee. After Mr..
Smith had made severe reflections on
Mr.. Myrick's views, the latter sald ne
was farmer himself and owned a
farm in Mr.. Smiths district in Call
fornia.
Members of the committee are re-
ceiving great quantities of letters from
various parts of the country rejecting
the tone of the editorial, they say
Representative Fassett of New YORK
said he received 500 daily as a result
of the editorial, and others Of the
same kind, which he declared were
the most pitiful limitations of argu-
ment' that he ever had heard OF ana
the most violent reading" he had
ever seen.
Demands Apology
Chairman Weeks of the committee
after Mr.. Myrick had said that lie IN
tended no reflection on the committee,
and that the statements of robbery
and graft" in his editorials did not
refer to government ol.4cials, demanded
that Mr.. Myrick's publications print
a statement to that effect.
Representative Murdoch or Kansas
another member of the committee
called attention to the fact that the
government was paying $4,000 year
for carrying the mails across an oid
bridge at st. Louis, when it might be
carried for a much smaller sum across
a new bridge receiving only part OF
the business.
Il think this is what you mean by
your charges of graft, isn't it," ne sald'
addressing Mr.. Myrick.
That's 1t exactly" said Mr.. Myrlck'
Chairman Weeks then said that a
subcommittee engaged in drafting the
postoffice appropriation bill had dis
covered this evil and would correct it.
1t was the only one Of the kind, he
said. that had been found.
Editorials which caused the outbreak
were entitled "A Fresh Attack Upon
Liberty still Another Tax and
New Taxes and Fresh Robbery.
Are there your conclusions? Do you
think there is any robbery asked Mr..
Smith of California.
Il saw that the postmaster general
had reported that it cost 8 cents a
pound to carry second class matter.
while the government received only L
cent a pound. If the government in
tended to raise it to 8 cents it would
constitute robbery, in my opinion re-
piled Mr.. Myrick.
Chairman Weeks replied by saying
that there was no intention of raising
the postal rates to cents. One of the
editorials referred to "scheming' and
grating" in congress in connection
with the proposed increase, and Messrs.
Weeks, Smith and Fassett, members
of the committee, became angry over
these characterizations.
The hearing probably will be con-
tinued.