Evening journal., 1911-06-05
SENATORS in
A WRANCLE
MCCumber Excited While Pub
fishers We're TeStlfying
About Reciprocity
DECLARES NEWSPAPERS
GIVE UNFAIR REPORTS
By The United Press.

WASHINGTON, June 5.-Newspa-
per publishers we're summoned be-
fore the Senate Committee on Finance
today at the hearing on the recipro-
city bill, the witnesses including Her.
man Ridder. until recently president
of the American Newspaper Pub
fishers Association and editor of the
New York Staats-Zeitung; Frank b.
Noyes, president, and Melville f.
Stone, general manager and secretary
of the Associated Press, and Bruce
Haldeman, publisher Of the Louis
Vile Courier-Journal and president
of the American Newspaper Publish
ers' Association.
Ridder was the first witness and his
testimony had not proceeded far when
a lively scene was caused by McCum-
Der (Rep. n d. taking violent excep-
ton to Riders statement as to the
attitude of the newspapers toward
reciprocity.
Ridder said he had exercised the
right of every American citizen to
present his views to his representa-
tives in Congress and had urged
newspapers to support Canadian
agreement. In q letter sent out Feb
ruary II, 1911, he asked publishers
to instruct their Washington cores
pondents to treat reciprocity favor
ably and he spoke in the letter OF the
importance of free print paper and
pulp to the newspapers.
"Did you give instructions as 70 the
tone of the articles to be used with re-
gard to reciprocity" asked Senator
Hepburn
No Such Instructions.
There were no such instructions" F"
said Ridder.
Il am surprised at the letter Of
February H." said Clark (Rep., Wy
oming) 81 thought the press gave
unbiased statements about affairs
here at the seat of government 1t
seems to me your letter intimates that
this is not the case. 1t seems that the
object might be to create public opin-
ion in opposition to the real situation
here"
1.-The facts arc that the press as
sociations and newspapers have given
both sides of the question" declared
Ridder
Senator McCumber's face flushed
with rage and jumping to his feet,
he shouted: That is an absolute
falsehood and I want the record to
show it,"
"I protest" said Stone (Dem.. MOI.
"A member of the committee has not
the right to insult a witness"
Il did not insult the witness ex-
nT-fr..,,.F,r,. cfa m
was untrue"
McCumber Angry.
"I do not propose to have that state-
ment go in the record without pro-
test" the North Dakota senator added
angrily. when a witness comes before
this committee and makes a statement
which you know and know is a false
hood, ! propose to have the record
show it,"
"Oh," interjected Senator Stone
Dem Mo- the Senator is not right
when he makes that statement. He is
insulting the witness"
The Senator is not insulting,
shouted McCumber leaning forward
and glaring at Stone, but when a
witness comes here and says some
thing you know and / know is not the
fact, | don't propose to let it go on the
record without protest You cannot
make this record false" Il propose tc
record protest against that statement
said Stone.
WELL" said McCumber with heat
you can protest and l will have that
on the record"
Bailey Dem, Texas) came in as a
pacifcator. He said that if any wit
ness had said what the senator hac
said, he would insist that it be with
drawn and he suggested to McCumbei
that he leave the falsehood part out
"Well," insisted McCumber, when
a witness says we are getting fair
and unbiased reports about this mat
ter, he is saying thing that are not
true"
BY this time the committee was in
an uproar, above which Bailey's voice
could be heard objecting to "un-
seemly disorder" and declaring that
such statements would almost justify
a personal collision"
McCumber finally altered his state
ment by substituting "anfounded" for
false"