Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-08
Action fCommittee on Priv
leges in Giving Work to a
Subcommittee Voted An
Approval.
TALKS ON
DIRECT ELECTIONS
Maryland Senator Accuses
Former President Roose-
velt Of Straddling; No Re-
port on Reciprocity.

Washington, D. c., June by
unanimous vote the senate tod;y ap-
proved the action of the committee on
privileges and elections in naming
q subcommittee of eight to conduct
the new Lorimer investigation. The
subcommittee, which under the reso-
luton adopted really becomes a sep
arate committee, is clothed with wide
authority and will begin it's work i'm
mediately
Two amendments were made to the
resolution, the principal one striking
out the authorization to the commit
tee to investigate whether Mr.. Lori
mer was now entitled to retain his
seat"
Tie provision was construed by Sen
ator Culberson as liable to raise the
question whether the investigation Of
last session should not be regarded
as a final adjudication.
Another amendment described the
new committee "as of the United
States senate"
( This modification was made at the
instance of Senator Reed of Missouri
to prevent the committee from being
considered subcommittee of the
committee on privileges and elections,
which would have the effect of cir
cumscribing the new committees
powers.
Rayner on Direct Elections.
In presenting to the senate plea
in support of the election OF senators
by direct vote of the people Senator
Rayner of Maryland today once more
paid his respects to former President
Roosevelt.
He said he did not enjoy the refer
ence to the fact that he and Mr.
Roosevelt agree in their advocacy Of
this policy and explained that when
he was on platform he stayed on 1t,
while the former president had "the
peculiar faculty" of getting on and of
platforms with peculiar ease.
mo other individual In the United
States has the genius that he has IN
this connection" said Mr.. Rayner.
"He can make statement one day
and absolutely deny 1t the next, and
the people seem to believe him both
times. Talking about platforms, he
can make speech upon the latform
Of a railroad train, where the stations
are only mile apart, and recant to
one station what he had said at the
station he had just passed; he can
recomme end the selection of a progress
sive senator in one state, and then
with equal vehemence indorse an ex-
treme conservative in another; he
can stand upon two political platforms,
each radically differing from the oLn-
er, and then deny that he stood upon
either of them; he can coquette with
both political parties and then start
a party of his own, whose doctrines
and policies consist of an 1ncOherent
medley of unconstitutional impossible
tiles; he can stand before an intellf-
gent audience of 5000 people and tell
them how at the dead of night upon
the borders Of an African jungle, upon
the banks of river that never had
any existence, when no one with him,
he encountered and slaughtered
NEUROLOGICAL animal that God had
never created and receive the widest
plaudits at the miarcfulous perform
ance Of this impossible accomplish
ment."
Recalls Flop on Rate Bill.
He declared that after obtaining his
(Rayner's) promise to maintain his
position on the railroad rate bill Mr..
Roosevelt had himself changed his
own position over night. "You must die
where you stand" the then president
was quoted as saying to him.
."The next day when the vote was
taken," said the senator, II stood to
my colors and died where stood. Just
as was about dying. however, l
looked around for the president, who
promised to die with me, but had
neither died nor retreated. On the
contrary never saw anyone more
constructively alive. Under the gentle
guidance Of the junior senator from
Massachusetts, he had slipped away
during the night, while we all were
slumbering, and there he stood. 1t Is
true, with the colors In his hand, but
they were the colors of opposition,
and when returned to life and met
him short time afterward the only ex-
PLANTATION received for this manouver,
unparalleled in point of strategy upon
the pages of political history, was his
remark to me: "Well. you all died q
glorious death. was so sorry could
not be with you."
Speaking on the merits OF the res
olution Mr.. Rayner said: I'VE cannot
threaten this reform any longer. He