Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1911-07-06
tBy National Socialist Press }

Washington, D. Gully will
mark the end OF the first three months
served by the first Socialist in Con.
gress.
Victor l.. Berger. Of Wisconsin. took
his seat in tn House on April 4. AL
though called to Washington ia attend
an extra session devoted solely to tar
iff legislation, Berger has made a re-
cord OF activity In behalf OF the toiing
masses which is unprecedented in the
entire history OF Congress
And unlike any other member OF
Congress. Berger is desirous that his
voting and legislative record should
be published. When one wants TO
find the record Of a republican or a
democrat. he has to look up the VOL
uminou files in the Congressional
Library. But Berger is a Socialist.
He has nothing to hide.
On April 4. Berger answered pres
ent" on the roll-calf for the election
Of a Speaker. on the next day he
introduced a joint resolution calling
upon the President to Withdraw the
troops from the Mexican border. This
resolution was buried in the Commit
tee on Military Affairs, although Ber-
ger backed up his measure with
petitions from nearly ninety thousand
American citizens.
When the bill providing for the
direct election OF Senators came up
in the House on April 10. Berger voted
with the republicans for the federal
control OF such elections and then
with the democrats for the passage
OF the resolutions itself.
The next day the Socialist Repre-
sentative voted for an amendment 10
the democratic campaign publicity bill
This amendment extended publicity of
campaign contributions to primary
eiections. This amendment was de-
feated by the democrats who knew
that such publicity would hurt their
party in the Southern States where
a primary nomination Is all there is
to an election.
on April 1s. Berger introduced his
resolution providing for the calling
of a national convention to draft a
new Constitution. This resolution
was referred to the Committee on
Judiciary. Since the introduction OF
this resolution. the Wisconsin Legis-
lature went on record i'm favor OF a
national constitutional convention.
The vote on Canadian reciprocity
was taken in the House on April 21.
Berger voted for the reciprocity agree
ment.
A few days Uter the press published
the sensational news OF the kidnap-
ping OF the Mcnamara brothers by
private detectives and agents OF the
National Erectors Association Ber.
ger Immediately introduced n resolu-
tion ealing upon Congress to investi-
gate this outrage upon American citi-
zens. The resolution was referred 20
the Committee on Ruies. and after
considerable agitation this committee
ordered hearing on Berger's resol-
ution.
The Socialist Representatives. time
for the next few weeks was largely
consumed by the Mcnamara case. He
had TO prepare a case for the Com
mittee on Rules. This meant not only
an investigation into the facts but also
the compilation of legal precedents
as to the relation OF Congress to such
matters and on the subject OF kidnap-
ping itself.
Two hearings were held on the
Mcnamara case at which all the avail
able evidence was presented. The
Rules Committee declined to order a
special invetigation on the ground that
no further evidence was necessary 20
convince its members that McNamara's
arrest and extradition was Illegal. II
decided to print all the evidence as a
House document and present the same
TO Congress for the use of heJudiciary
Committee. The later committee In
the meantime had been given charge