Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-10
WORKSSC0RES
z 2CANO|OATES
IN SENATE TALK
During Speech on Single
Presidential Term He
Said Taft and Roosevelt
Both Deserved Defeat.

Washington D. c., Dec. 9.-In q
speech today in the senate upon his
resolution for constitutional amend
ment that would provide single six
year presidential term, Senator Works
Of California, identified since his entry
into the senate with the progressive
republican faction, made strong
criticism of Theodore Roosevelt and
the progressive party for their afhlla-
tion with George w. Perkins and other
representatives of large corporations.
Censures TAFT and Col. Roosevelt.
Senator Works declared that both
Roosevelt and Taft deserved defeat.
He asserted that Roosevelt, when
president, had withheld action against
the harvester trust with the natural
result that Mr.. Perkins had been one
of the chief Roosevelt hackers in the
fight this year for the progressive nom
ination; and, with equal emphasis he
declared that President Taft had lost
the respect and good will of many
good people by going upon the stump
against Col. Roosevelt" The attack
upon Roosevelt came in connection
with Senator Works assertion that
the presidents Office had been used to
prevent adverse action against cor.
porations. ....
Teddy Held Up Prosecution.
1--WE are not without evidence of the
effect of such action on succeeding
elections" said Senator Works. "The
great harvester trust, one of the worst
and most oppressive of its kind, was
signally favored by Mr.. Roosevelt
when president, in this respect. 1t
was not prosecuted for violations OF
the Sherman antitrust law because
Roosevelt ordered otherwise. What
was the natural result? When Roose;
velt again became a candidate George
w. Perkins became his ardent suppor'
ter and chief financial hacker. Per
kins was largely interested In the haT.
vester trust. Perkins knew by actual
demonstration that his company would
be safe against just prosecution II
Roosevelt were elected, unless he
should change his mind. And he
would much less likely change his
views If the harvester trust or its
stockholders should lend him their
support. g..
Il am not saying that Mr.. Roosevelt
acted out of improper motives In deal
ing with the harvester trust or the
steel trust. He may have been per-
fectly satisfied that the course taken
by him was the proper and just course.
call attention to these instances of
presidential favor and what followed
them, as illustrating the power that
exists in the hands of a president in
his first term, to secure his election
to second term"
A single presidential term, Senator
Works declared, would prevent the
use of patronage and the power OF
office in the way it is now used and
would remove the opportunity a presi'
dent now has to grant favors or lnf1ict
punishment upon campaign friends or
enemies.
He urged that campaign contribu.
tions be made only by the state or
nation, declaring that large cam
paign funds, however, raised are q
dangerous menace to the free 1nstitu'
tions of the country"
Both Deserved Defeat.
"The advocacy by the incumbent of
his own reelection in the late cam
paign led to the most shameful cam.
paign of elimination and recrimina
tion between the president and ex.
president that this country has ever
Witnessed Senator Works continued.
Both of these candidates were over
whelmingly defeated. They both de-
served defeat for this reason II for no
other. The conduct of Roosevelt was
particularly reprehensible. His vicious
assaults on the president made 1t i'm.
perative for the latter, in his estima'
tion and that of his friends, to meet
on the stump the charges made
against him. @
1T was fatal mistake. 1t lost him
the respect and good will Of many
good people. He put himself on a
level with his detractor and thus low.
cred his dignity and that of his Office
to no purpose. How much better 1t
would have been for the country If
both of them had been ineligible to
ra o1oot}on H.#I ." ! ...