Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-27
HOT DEBATE ON ROOSEVELT
Williams in Senate Calls Colonel q
Modern Caesar.
Bristow Charges ooiiusioa Existed
Between Senate and Department
of Justice In Bringing out
Harvester Letters.


WASHINGTON, April ss-The first SEN
ssttonal political debate IN the senate at
this session Of congress broke yesterday
over Colonel Roosevelts official GORE
spondence about the International Har-
vester company when he was president In
lseT.
Senator Bristow Of Kansas was the
principal speaker in support of Colonel
Roosevelt and Senator John Sharp Will
liams OF Mississippi was the former
presidents principal assailant.
Mr.. Williams characterized the former
president as modern Caesar willing to
seize power by any means" while Mr..
Bristow defended the colonel as the mod
ern tribune OF the people and warmly
criticised President Taft's administration.
The debate became almost ultra sensa-
tional when Senator Williams read to the
senate a parody OF the apostles creed as
follows:
II believe In Theodore Roosevelt, maker
Of noise ana strife. and IN ambition. his
only creed CAdy Lord. He was born OF
the love Of power and suffered under VIII
liam II. Taft; was erucified dead and
buried. He descended into Africa. The
third year he rose again from the jungle
and descended into favor and stitch on
the right hand Of his party whence. he
shall come to soourge the licked and the
dead.
81 believe In the holy Outlook. the big
stick. the Ananias. the forgiveness OF
political activities. the resurrection OF
presidential ambitions and the third term
verlastingly-amen, amen. amen"
Bristow Make. Charges.
The debate was prscipitsted by Senator
Bristows return to his charge Of yester-
day that collision had existed between
the senate and the Department OF Justice
In the sending OF the official corre-
spondence yesterday and that Partially
had been shown In the proceeding In that
only correspondence regarding the course
Of President Roosavelt's administration
had been sent TO the senate while the
papers relating to the Taft admlnistra-
tons proceedings had not. He asserted
again that Attorney General wickersham
had hts reply ready TO send when Senator
Johnston's resolution of yesterday reached
him and referred TO the fact that two
similar resolutions--hy Senators overman
and Lea-had not been compiled with.
Senator Johnston denied there had been
an understanding and declared he had
seen neither the attorney general nor the
president for q month. Senator Clark
OF Wyoming pointed out that the John
ston resolution differed from the others
in that II called for certain specific in
formation. He and Senator Nelson gave
alleged instances in which Colonel Roose-
welt when president had withheld CORE
spondence OF the bureau Of corporations.
Senator Bristow remarked that EVIL
IDENTIFY there was no disposition on either
side of the chamber to cr.ticlse President
Taft. 20 which, Senator Williams pro-
tested vigorously.
III the senator can show me that the
present president has Travelled In the
same way as the former president. I will
condemn him as strongly as / would
Roosevelt" he declared. .a
1T would have to be q matter OF grave
public concern In which vital interests OF
the country were affected" returned Sem
ator Bristow. before / would dig up the
confidential correspondence OF my prede-
eessors secretary and his cabinet Off
GERS In regard TO matters which he has a
perfect right to believe would be kept
within the confidence OF the department
and print them for political campaign
purposes"
williams Delivers Lecture.
With that Senator williams stepped out
from his desk and took a position In the
center aisle Of the senate, where he said
he could be more impartial as between
parties and factions" and entered into
good-natured lecture to the republicans.
Senator Bristow he referred TO as one
Of the chief uplifters Of the present time
who was stu opposed to lifting the lid
from administration secrets Mr.. Bris-
tow Insisted that he had been misunder-
stood.
Senator williams discussed the corre-
spondence made public yesterday and
then touched on the third term"
Are you going to come out for
third tsrm7" he demanded Are you
going to forget what Washington. JEFF
ferson, Jackson. Lincoln and Mckinley
did and said? Are you going to put all
that behind you because Of q little key
note phrasing7"
Senator Nelson intertected that hts