The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-26
REPRESENTATIVE BENNETT DE-
NoUNcEs SECRETARY OF
IMMIGRATION LEAGUE.
STRONG LANGUAGE USED.
Congressman Declares That Inforn,a-
ton Furnished Mr.. Macon About I'M
migration Commissions Work by
James A. Pstten Is a wicked. Cruel,
Deliberate and Malicious Lie"

Washington. Jan. 25.-Dcclarng that
James 4. Patten. secretary of the
Immigration Restriction league, had
told a wicked. cruel, deliberate and
malicious lie" when he gave Repre-
sentative Macon of Arkansas. informa
ton upon which the latter based his
speech yesterday. Representative Ben
nett made a vigorous defense of the
imm grafton commission in the house
today
Statements of the gentlemen from
Arkansas require q full, instant and
complete retracton," shouted Mr..
Bennett. after he had explained in de-
tail the work of the commission, its
trip abroad in 1907. which Mr.. Macon
had termed a .junket' and the results
it had accomplished.
Mr. Macon met Mr.. Bennetts de-
mands with sharp reply. Il am not
going to accept what the gentleman
from New York has said to this house
as gospel" exclaimed Mr.. Macon. 1T
is a question of veracity, and one of
these gentlemen has as much credence
on the part of the house as the other
until one or the other shows himself
TO be liar and The other shows him
self to be n truthful man, and the
gentleman from New York is not
saint"
Mr. Macon admitted that Mr.. Patten
was his informant. Mr.. Macon ex-
planned that AIR ~Patten was a son-in
Law OF a deceased member of the COM
mission and was in a position to
know.
Il am not here to take back any part
Of my statement that the trip abroad
was q junket, as ] understand a
junket," exclaimed Mr.. Macon.
Thus the incident was closed with
out Mr. Macon having receded from
his position. but not until after Mr..
Mann of Illinois had refused to con
sent to Mr.. Maeon's request for per-
mission to revise his remarks in the
record
On Record.
Mr.. Macon explained that he merely
wanted to correct the bad English"
but Mr.. Mann retnr:ed that it was
unnecessary to obtain consent for that
and that both parties to the con-
troversy would have to go on record
for what they had said.
II was thought for time that Mr.
Mann's statement indicated that Mr.
Macon might be called to account by
the rules committee for using un-
parliamentary language toward a fell
low member of the house. but it soon
developed that Mr.. Macon had not
called Mr.. Bennett liar" as some
members had construed his remarks.
Mr.. Bennett made a general denial of
ha hr Macon
serted that the member from Arkansas
had made them without taking the
trouble to ascertain If they were true.
He said the commission had spent
only $4,000 of the peoples money on
their trip of investigation abroad. but
had gone down into their own pockets
for more than that amount rather
than charge to their expense accounts
all they had spent.
In the four months the commission
was in Europe. he said. he had little
time to devote 10 sightseeing.
Flying Trips.
II went through Rome without see !
ing St. Peters or the Appian way"
declared Mr.. Bennett. and added that
he had made only two flying trips to
Paris and in each instance had left by |
tho next train.
When Mr. Bennett asserted that Viii |
liam r. Wheeler had given up a $4,000
position TO accept one for $500 with
the commission. Mr.. Macon in
credulous!y interrupted to say that. if
he had done that. he would regard /
himself as either "A knave or fool
Il have no objection TO the gentle |
mans characterization of himself" was
Mr.. Bennett's retort courteous.
Mr. Bennett said that the immisra- |
ton commission had accomplished |
much good since it was created. having |
broken UP the white slave traffic"
taken steps to exclude alien criminals.
and greatly improved steerage condi- /
tions on immigrant ships.
The house passed a bill creating
bureau OF mines in the interior de-
partment. After brief discussion the
senate passed the Notifications ap-
preparation bill carrying s5,sal 900. .
Some time was devoted to consiuera-
ton of a bill creating a new national
forest reserve in Montana. but no
action was taken. Both houses ad-
journed until tomorrow.