Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-24

conference agreement. would have
about three hours to talk.
Senator Bristow declared he be-
lieved Senator Owen had excluded
him from the conference for fear he
would join some of the Democrats
against Ovens pet measure"
'1t was done because he knew he
could not control my vote" cried Mr..
Bristow, 'as he could not control the
votes of some of his Democratic col
leagues, in the interest of certain great
banking interests that have had a
hand throughout in framing this bill.
The senator from Oklahoma has ac-
cepted the most offensive provisions
of the Aldrich bill and has covered
them with a mask to deceive the peo-
Pile
Senator Owen declared Senator Bris-
tow had been excluded from the de-
liberations of the Democrats because
they did not want their conference to
become a debating society,""
'If the senator from Kansas thinks he
can split the Democratic party to suit
his own conveniences and change its pol
icies as he desires, he is mistaken" said
Mr. owen. He tried it in the banking
committee and failed"
Senator Owen said that "A years ago
he had helped to organize a little bank
in Oklahoma" that he still owned stock
in the bank and will own it until I die. :"
"The allegations that my action on this
bill were influenced by the ownership of
stock in that little bank are ridiculous.
he said. More than that, they are false
and the senator knows they are false"
Mr.. Bristow wound up by taking a
fling at the recent dissolution of the
American Telephone & Telegraph Co.
1.-The attorney general has been able to
send UP the market price of telephone
stock at a jump he declared. He
could send it down again just as quick
ly. With the power the attorney general
has under the laws which he assumes to
control and the power the secretary OF
the treasury will have under this new
banking system, We will have central
ization of power under Democratic ad-
ministration that Alexander Hamilton
would have blushed to assume"
Many allegations that this bill
has been drawn in the interests of
the banks continued Senator Bris-
tow, that the senator from Oklahoma
is largely interested in banking; that
the profits derived from this system by
the banks he is interested in, will add
directly to his personal fortune, and
that he has voted to increase from 5
per cent. to per cent. dividends paid
by the new regional banks on the
or ha1 hxrr ha NJ
Mr.. Bristow's attack was based on
rule of Jeffersons Manual of Par
liamentary practice, that senator
should not vote on legislation in which
he was directely interested. Mr.. Bris-
tow read newspaper clipping that
purported to quote Senator Owen as
saying he had taken stock in a new
National Bank to be organized in st.
Louis.
Mr.. Owen retorted that Bristow's
charges We're false
Senator Nelson, another of the ex-
cluded Republican conferees, assailed
the Democrats.
You have not only insulted the Re-
publicans of the Senate and lnsulted
and humiliated me-" he said, but you
have disfranchised the state l repre-
sent
Senator John Sharp Williams. de-
claring the Republicans were crying
against the same sort of procedure
they had always exercised when in
power, illustrated his point with story
Of Negro woman who had decried
automobiles until she got a ride in one
and then admonished the driver.
"Jedge, jest run right over dat man
he aint got no business out in front
of our car
That's the way l feel about yor
Republicans said he.
Senator Townsend, Republican, also
attacked the bill, declaring it would
result in imitation.
| THE measure shows the effect of
the views of that Democratic leader
who is now the distinguished secre-
| tary of state" he said, and those
views if carried to a conclusion, would
initiate both currency and credit to
| the breaking point"
| Senator Lewis, Democrat, defended
| Secretary Bryan and declared the Re-
publican party had been forced to
write into law many of the policies he
had advocated.
Senator Shafroth, Democrat defend
ed the procedure of the Democratic
conferees.
Immediately after the final passage
of the currency bill the Senate adopt
ed the resolution for recess until Jan
IL, thus clearing the way for the
Christmas Holiday adjournment OF