The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-02-28
ATTACKS TAFT AND ROOSEVELT
SENATOR BOT RNE PITCHES ~ TO
THEN ~ THE SENATE.
Charges Roosevelt with tsing Fedora,
Patronage to Nominate lsis Successor
and TAFT with Vsing II Ia influence
I.cgisiatiOn-Sa says such se Is y Crime.

than Bourne of Oregon in the course OF
speech tonight in the Senate made an
attack on President Taft and on ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt The Senator was dis
cussing the Oregon plan" Of voting
direct for delegates to national party
conventions He charged that Presi-
dent Roosevelt used the Federal patron
age TO nominal his successor In Office
and TO "thwart the will Of the people
Il have as much respect for the ward
heeler who buys n vote with money as
| have for the President who Uses his
Federal patronage to influence The action
Of members Of Congress on pending leg
i-lstion. said Senator Bourne
The Beverly letter issued last year.
IL We are TO consider il authentic, con
fessed that Federal patronage had been
given TO those Senators and members
who acted in accordance with the Presi
dent desires aud was withheld from
those who did not follow the President
desires in matt ers Of eSislation.
Under the Federal Constitution, the
Senator urged. the legislative power
is vested in the Senate and House of
Representatives Every President who
takes the oain of ottic. swears 10 uphold
that constitution. and the President
who, in face Of such oath, use- the pat
ronags IN an atteUlpt to direct l.gisla-
tion viola .s hls oath OF Office.
10 brIb.. a member OF otIHrees with
patronage h, no less "a crime tiIan To brlts
him with money OF other valuable CON
.d.ratiun. The 'uisus. ot patronage in
this way In too base to b- called crime
II was So far h-loy VI. conception of
crime 10y the iawmsa-rs that no sta, ate
has ever been framed 10 NEE. sucn a
case 1t would indeed toe u mos, hunl'ai
ing confession OF the Weakness ot repre-
sentative government II Legislation "sr.
proposed TO stop tn. use by me President
Of Federal ra'ronag. 10 control IN" action
of Senators and Representatives IN mat
tors of legislation
The President through the power Ia.
wiaAis with his office i the head Of tn.
biggest poli'lcal machine IL thr world.
and this Is true whether he directs II him.
self or delegates the powet 10 others
Il - psrnicious ia either case
senator Bourns's speech created Il lroS
found sensation HIS accusations agaiust
the President We're 30 pointed and s.r,-
uu- hat Senators gravel, discussed rails
iuS "a question Of order
The Oregon Senator disagr. al with
President Taft som- tame ago over IN.
appointment, of a Federal officeholt!ei IN
Oregon Formerly h. vas IA frequent
visitor al The White House and President
Ts;t's almost daily companion on th- golf
links
senator Bourne addressed the Senat.
for more than an hour He read from
manuscript and announced al tho out Sc.
that he did not care 10 bs interruptai
The Senate followed him with keen inter
est When MIR Bourne arose TO speak
there was sacrcely a dozen Senators IN
the chamber. As he continued his re-
marks word quickly spread to the corri-
dors and cloakrooms oS the nature oi
his address and soon practically full
Senate was in attendance
While Senator Bourne did not mention
the name of Mr.. Taft in The course OF his
speech he left no room for doubt a. Ia
tho object of his attack Mr. Bourne
bitter hatred of Postmaster Genera
Hitchcock. with whom he quarrelled more
than two years ago. was also disclosed
through pointed remarks aimed at the
former chairman of the Republican ma
tional committe"
Mr. Bourne quoted one OF the sections
Of the United States statutes providing
penalty by fine and imprisonment for
the Offering of bribe or any valuable
consideration as means OF influencing
public officer in the discharge Of his
duties He intimaa ed that the Uses Of
Federal patronage 10 reward supporters
OF an administration or to punish those
who had criticised it was as obnoxious
to the moral law as the offering Of bribes
was in conflict with the law Of the land
He expressed the hope thar Congress:
would pass All enactment prohibiting the
improper use OF Federal patronage
Mr.. Bourne said that frequently tbs
President delegated the great power tha,
attached to him through the authority
to make appointments. He evidently
had Mr. Hitchcock in mind when he de,
olared that this power was delegated Al
times to a Postmaster-Gensral or chair
man OF the national committee. thes.
offices on occasion being vested in on,
person
Continuing Mr.. Bourne said;
While tho President ia the actual heac
OF the Federal machine. the chairman o.
the national committee or a Ca binet Office
or both in one 10 usually his chief agent fo
its operations Backed by the Presidential
power 70 distribute Federal patronage. III
starts his organization with rho committee
mon from Districts and Territories having
no votes and from those Southern State.
that always deliver delegates but nevel
deliver electoral votes to tho Republican
Z party
National conventions are nof representa-
tive Of the wishes OF the members Of TIT
party who are depended upon 10 cast thu
votes to elect the ticket, In the iaos na
tional Republican convention $50 delegates
we're admitted under the terms OF the ma
tional committees call The Southern
States and the Territories giving no electora
votes, with the exception of MARYLAND
which gave Taft and sherman two ont o
eight had sas votes, leaving So to he secured