Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-03-10
BOVINE FLAWS TAFT
IN A SENATE SPEECH

members of congress. The inferred
charge was made In a speech in the Senate
by Senator Jonathan Bourne, of Wash
ington. president of the new progressive
republican league, and until the recent
trouble over an Oregon appointment tho
intimate friend and golfing companion or
the chief executive. The surprising thing
was that although all Of the senator's
audience construed his remarks as an at
tack on the president, not a word was ut
tered in reply,
The Beverly letter in which Secretary
Norton said the president had withheld
patronage from certain congressman and
senator's, but would discontinue that prac"
tice, was brought into the limelight.
On previous occasions insurgent sena-
tors threatened to read this letter In the
Senate, but until last night no public ref
| erence had been made to IL.
Mr.. Bourne opened his speech by O dis
cussion Of the Oregon law. He said when
this law is enlisted by all the states II
Will destroy the power OF the federal ma
chine TO renominate Il president or deter
mine his successor. The steam roller
he says, will be relegated to the political
scrap heap and its operators to the shadow
OF things forgotten, while fourth class
postmasters will cease to be a political as
set for anybody or any party. Senator
Bourne said the use of presidential APP
pointing power to coerce member OF con-
| gress would be either bribery or intimi-
dation-bribery IL patronage was used as
a reward, and intimidation IL withheld as
a punishment. In this connection he read
section $3.50 of the revised statutes making
1t a crime for any person to offer or re-
ceive anything Of value to any members
Of either house of congress with intent to
influence his vote or his decision upon any
matter pending In either house.
Continuing, he said:
1.-THE natural inference from the Nor
ton letter is that the president of the
United States used federal patronage to
Influence the action or members on con-
gress. This Is a charge which no citizen
can discuss without regret, yet the whole
subject Is of such vital Importance In the
preservation OF representative government
that would feel remiss in my duty IL l
failed 70 call Il TO the attention OF the
country and place in available form such
information relating thereto es may come
to my attention. The unden;ed statement
indicates a deplorable and doprecable SUBJ
servience on the part of the legislative
branch and a dangerous and demoralizing
~usurpation on the part OF the executive.
II would have as much respect for a
common ward heller who buys votes at
the polls, as for a president OF the United
States who uses his appointing power as
a means OF persuading members OF con-
gress TO determine their course OF action.
One transaction Is as dishonest, as cor
riint and az denrap wing as the ether, s.t
the latter !s mere dangerous, more In
sidious, more pernicious, than the former
because 1t strikes at the very foundation
Of free institutions. sets a precedent for
corrupt methods In all official life, and
marks the beginning OF dictatorship and
decadence of the nation.
but. Mr.. President, the use OF appoint
ing power to influence the action OF MEM
bers of congress is only one means by
which this power may be abused. Federal
patronage Is also an effective and danger
Gus power when welded for the creation
or maintenance OF a political machine with
the purpose OF forcing denomination Of an
executive or the nomination OF a man OF
his choice
Mr.. Bourne outlined the matter in which
civil employees are sometimes used to con-
troll national conventions, and particularly
he complained Of their use In sending dele
cations from the southern states, which
never send republican representatives to
electoral colleges.
..Extension of the power of the execu-
tive is the beginning Of dictatorship. The
remedy is to make the president directly
accountable TO party and general electo-
rates by enacting laws for presidential
primary votes, these by destroying the
public political bosses and their hackers.
the campaign contributors. The people can
be trusted.
,"rhe composite citizens know more and
act from higher motives than any single
Individual, however great, experienced or
we'll developed. In the composite citizen.
s~elhshness Is m~inimized, while In the In
diyidual 1t is usually dominant"
-
The tariff program for the Sixty-second
congress will be taken up for action. along
with the selection Of committees, at a
meeting OF the democratic members OF the
ways and means committee OF the next
house, which Mr.. Underwood. Of Ala
hama. the chairman, yesterday called for
next Monday. The committee will meet
from day to day until the work before 1t Is
completed.
Democratic members OF the house ex-
meet an extra session OF congress and plan
for the committee, or rather Its democratic
members. to determine upon the demo-
cratic personnel of the committees OF the
next congress and to outline a tariff pro-
cadure A democratic caucus to be held
,,dtbin a week of the converting OF the
extra session will take UP the matters.
THE republicans will select their mem
hers of the committees. and the demo-
Gratis insist that when names are handed
IN they must have been approved by a re-
publican caucus. All the big committees
~ the next House will have n members,
IA democrats and seven republicans.
Three courses of tariff procedure will be
considered. First. the tariff revision leg
t~slation and reciprocity; second, reciprocity
and then tariff legislation; third. tariff re-
vision legislation, Incorporating the reel
nrocity bin as a part thereof.
sneaker to be Champ Clark. Mfr. Under
wood and other members promi.oat In
narty councils say there Is no doubt what
ever of reciprocity legislation passing the
House at an extra session, despite rumors
that nave come to the House that certain
senator's have asserted their belief that
the House would not again pass such leg
islation.
In a spirit Of merriment that banished all
serious discussions. members of the Uni
yersity clu last night at their annual din
ner listened to speeches by President TAFT,
senator Depew, Representatives, Lit
tleton and Ambassador Bryce. and then
presented to each hero medals" COM
memorating particular achievements.
MIR. Lsttlcton was rendered a Eiedal for
overcoming the dragon of Oyster bay.
while President Taft was honored with !
medal because In the possession OF Paalline
Wayne. the Taft cow, he haa caused the