Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-28
Statement by La Toilette.

in the gallery-gave evidence of tense
nerves.
! Statement by La Toilette.
Senator La Toilette secured the rec
ognition of the chair as soon as the
last committee had been read
ION behalf and by instruction OF
| thirteen republican members of this
Senate" he began. II desire to place
on the record a statement
The protest OF the insurgents. read
| by the Wisconsin senator, was as fol-
lows:
| For several years marked differences
have been developing within the repub-
| lican party In many states. These diff
ferences have been along clearly defined
lines of legislative action designed to
meet the demands resulting from changed
economic conditions affecting the indus
| trial life Of the nation.
THE statutes so enacted have become
generally known as progressive statutes,
and that element of the republican party
which has secured the enactment of such
legislation has become generally known
as the progressive element of the re-
publican party.
I'm the logic of events it was inevitable
that the rapidly growing progressive SEN
timent Of the progressive states should
find expression in the Senate Of the United
States, and for several years the proceed
ings of the Senate have from day to day
recorded marked and we'll defined differ
ences in the republican membership of
this body.
Proportion of Progressives.
"Out Of the total republican vote Of the
Senate. more than one-fourth is today
emphatically progressive republican. This
Is a settled and established fact in polit-
ical history. The country knows it. The
Senate cannot ignore it.
1.-THE difference which create division
in the republican party are not upon mat
ters Of party policy, but relate to the
the gravest problems which confront the
American people. These differences rep
resent not merely conflicting personal
opinions Of individual senator's. They rep
resent fundamental differences in contic-
tions involving the welfare of ninety mil
lions of people. If the progressive repub-
lican senators failed to represent the pro-
gressive public opinion of their states
they would be swept aside. and their
places filled by men who would faithfully
represent that public opinion. If they
failed to protest against the denial of
representation upon the most important
committees Of the Senate they would be
remiss in their public duty.
Not Question of Ambition.
Their protest is not made to advance
the personal ambition OF any senator 1t
is made because we who make it cannot
permit to pass unchallenged a resolution
denying to millions of people their right
to be fairly represented upon the commit
tees which frame the most important leg
islation passed by the United States SEN
ate.
Under the organization of the Senate
the committees have a potential influence
in shaping legislation. All bills intro
duced must first go to a committee before
! being considered. The committee has the
power to amend any bill in any way, or
substitute another bill for 1t, or refuse to
report the bill back to the Senate for
consid In that event it dies. never
having reached the calendar of the Sen
ate.
Having this great power and influence
over legislation. 1t Is of the highest I'M
portance that the committees should rep
resent In their membership, as nearly as
possible. the controlling economic and po-
| itical opinion Of the people of the sew
eral states. In the framing Of the COM
mittees on finance and Interstate COM
| merce this policy has not been followed.
Legislation most vital to the welfare OF
the American people as whole comes
before the committee on interstate COM
| merce. The committee practically con-
trolls legislation affecting transportation,
trusts and combinations, overcapitaliza-
tion and almost every phase of the great
Industrial controversies that are agitating
the country. We believe that the men,
bership of the committee as proposed in
the resolution would place the control of
| legislation in the hands Of those opposed
to thoroughgoing regulation of railway
rates and services.
First we call attention to the geo.
graphical location of the members. The
| four new members are Mr.. Brandegee
| Of Connecticut. Mr.. Oliver OF Pennsyl-
vania, Mr.. Townsend Of Michigan and
Mr.. Lippitt Of Rhode Island. The pres
ent membership consists of Mr. Clapp
Of Minnesota, Mr.. Cullom OF Illinois.
Mr. Crane Of Massachusetts, Mr.. Nixon
Of Nevada and Mr.. Cummins Of Iowa. 1t
| will be observed that OF the nine re-
publicans, three, or one-third, are To-
Gated In Massachusetts,. Rhode Island
and Connecticut-states OF compare
| lively insignificant mileage, while the
other six members are scattered over
| the vast territory west Of the Hudson
| river, where the problems that grow
out Of interstate commerce are Of such
vital consequence to the people.
Division Termed Absurd.