Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
DISPLAY OF temper
Hot Exchanges in House Over
the Henry Bill.
SUNDRY VERBAL ASSAULTS
Measure Requires Candidates for
President to Disclose Expenses.
EXACTS STRICT ACCOUNTING
Bill Finally Adopted With Amend
ments Which Add to It's Sweep
ing Requirements.
SUNDRY VERBAL ASSAULTS
ExACTs STRICT ACCOUNTING

While discussing the Henry presi-
Dental campaign bill. yesterday. MEM
oers OF the House Of Representatives
INDUCED in decidedly heated ex-
cnange of views along political lines,
and there was at times the evidence of
considerable temper of the violent
form.
The appearance of the bill was the
signal for verbal assaults upon Prest-
dent Taft and Col. Roosevelt, and,
meanwhile, in defense of his bill, Mr..
Henry read statements accredited to
Director Mckinley of the Taft cam
paign bureau to the effect that large
sums of money are being expended In
the interest of the former President.
Are Mr.. McKinley's charges true"
demanded Representative Henry. IF
they are true the American people
ought to know it. and If the charges
by Mr.. Roosevelt that large sums have
been used in Mr.. Taft's campaign are
true the people ought to know that
also"
Mr. Henry called on his democratic
friends to pass the measure so that
both republican candidates would have
to f1le sworn statements of the charges
made regarding the excessive use of
money by each adversary.
Debate Is Acrimonious.
The debate which followed was what
may be cfassed as acrimonious. The re-
publfcans criticised the bill as generally
crude and ineffective, and later added in
amending it. Representative Henry class
ed their criticism as "quibblng.'
You gentlemen" said he, instead of
clubbing. ought to help us pass this BILL
requiring verified statements from Mr..
Mckinley and verified statement under
oath from Senator Dixon of Montana, in
order that we may know If the Ameri-
can electorate is to be corrupted by
money in the coming election. as has been
done in former elections. If it be true,
and the managers of the republican can
didates file sworn statements, there will
be nothing left of the candidates by No
vember, no matter whether Roosevelt or
Taft shall stand before the American
public on election day."
There were two amendments made in
the bill. one to require publication of the
names Of individual contributors, and the
other requiring the candidates themselves
to make statements. This last feature
was storm center for few moments:
Think of the dignity of that high Of
fice," exclaimed Representative Henry.
There are no candidates for the presi-
dency. They are always sought out by
the people and nominated by the people.
Greeted by Hilarious Laughter.
AS serious as Representative Henry
was, or seemed to be, the joke was too
much for some. of the contending repre-
sentatives. They laughed loud, and
they laughed long.
"At least we have no candidates on this
side explained Mr.. Henry. and querulous
cries Of ''Oh! OH came from the repub-
lfcans, while Representative Mann, lead
er of the side, shouted:
You mean you have no candidate who
has chance
Then Representative Henry showed his
quality as dispenser of repartee. In
tones of icy politeness, he handed to the
republicans these words:
II believe that Theodore Africanus, the
mad mullah of South Africa fame did
announce himself q candidate
And IL nominated he will beat you
to DEATH" was Representative Mann
seethed. In the general melee Repre-
sentative Henry was heard saying:
1T is enough to make the angels weep
to observe the standpatters on that side
of the House applaud Mr.. Roosevelt
II make this prediction" he continued
with animation, that whether it be
Roosevelt or Taft which Has purchased
this nomination from the American peo-
pie, Wnen we place our nominee before
the voters, whether it be the Speaker Of
the House"
Storm Reaches It's Height.
And then the avalanche came.
The House seemed to Guido all previous
efforts at noise and confusion. The folks
who had come to the galleries to see
American lawmakers at work will have
a story to tell when they get back to
the farm. Those democrats just acted
like madmen, and there was storm OF
yells for Clark. Representative Henry
was showed under as is usually the in
auguration date, which he hopes to
change. and when he emerged. the Speak
er was pounding the table with a gavel,
saying that time for debate had expired
and the vote was taken.
The bill passed with amendments which
make it even stronger than when it was
first presented. Every one who takes an
active part in campaigns for the presi-
dental nomination must file statements
under this bill.
ILL FROM GAS POISONING.