The Washington times., 1911-03-21
APOLOGY REPLY TO
ADAMSON PROTEST
Party Has Grown Progress
Sive as Claimed, But
He Has Not.

| The protests made to the Democratic
members of the Ways and Means Com
mittee against the selection of Repre-
| sentative W. {. AdamsOn of Georgia as
| chairman of the House Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Commerce, were
| based solely on Mr. AdamsOn's record
as a consistent opponent to progressive
legislation in respect TO railway regula-
tiOn and pure food.
1t now develops that friends of Mr..
AuamsOn have gone to members of
the Ways and Means Committee, not
with refutation of the charges made,
but with an apology.
Not Sustained BY Facts.
1t is admitted that Mr. Adamson has
opposed progressive interstate COM
merce measures in the past. but it is
alleged that he now has become a pro-
gressive. 1t is said that many Demo-
Gratis who now are thorough-going pro-
gressives were five or six years ago
inclined to doubt the wisdom of multi
plying laws based on the interstate
commerce clause of the Constitution,
and that Mr.. Adamson is one of these;
that he has progressed with his party,
and now is entitled, by reason of long
service and ability to represent the
party's position on subjects of interstate
commerce legislation.
The allegations and arguments pre-
sented in the apology are not sustained
by the facts in the record.
As recently as January =, 1911, not
quite two months ago, Mr.. Adamson, in
the Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee, referred to pending pure
food measure to which there was no
other opposition as foolish legislation" "
To Mark Plainly.
That was the so-Called net weights
and contents bill" which proposed to re-
quire food manufacturers to mark plain
ly on the labels of all food packages the
true amount of food contained therein
by stating the weight or measure in
plain letters and figures
This bill to prevent fraud and decep-
ton in the sale of food products, which
Mr.. AdamSon said was foolish legiS-
lation," was indorsed by the National
Retail Grocers' Association the National
Wholesale Grocers' Association, the Ma
tional Gamers Association, the ASSo-
citation for the Promotion of Purity in
Foods. the International Stewards AS
soCiatiOn, the Association of National
and state Dairy and Food Departments,
the National Consumers League, and
hv score of other associations of pro-
ducers, sellers, and consumers. 1t also
had the approval of the Bureau of
Chemistry, of which DF. Harvey W.
Wiley is the head, and of all branches
of the Federal Government having to
do with the enforcement of the food law
or the meat inspection regulations. 1t
was indorsed by many labor unions, and
by a host Of firms and individuals
Attitude Changed.
If. as his apologists aver, Mr.. Adam
son has become a progressive, he has
changed his attitude toward pure
food legislation SINCE january p.
1911. less than two months ago.
1t will be exceedingly difficult for Mr..
Adamson's friends to establish the sin
cerity Of the apology for his record that
they seek to have the Ways and Means
Committee accept as an Offset to the
vigorous protests made by the progress
slves against the elevation of Mr..
Adamron to the most important legisla-
tive craftsmanship in the House.
1t is very much to be doubted If Mr..
Adamson himself would offer such an
apology. His record is consistent. He
always has been opposed to radical
legislation affecting railways. and he
never has departed one hairs breadth
from his declared belief that the Con-
gress has no right, under the Consti
tuition, to legiSlate for State corpora
tiOns under the pretenCe of regulating
the interstate business done by those
State corporations.
Mr.. Adamson is not a progressive"
and It is hardly probable that he ever
will claim to be one.