The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-04-01

thusiasm Of the old guard for Napo-
leon.
ut has been often wondered why
this marvellous man was elected
speaker on his first day of service in
the house. Some months ago I search
ed it out. For years the British had
been committing gross outrages upon
our ships and seamen, and the Anaert-
can people rose in protest against 1t,
The administration was not disposed
to force redress. So in 1871 Henry
Clay, in the prime of his splendid
loudly demanding that the wrongs
and outrages on our shipping and our
sailors be redressed. The people were
with him, the house was with him and
he was triumJ.hant1y elected. He is
one of the imn1orta1s. 49,.
q" have this to say: The fact that
I am making this fight for our plat
form pledges may end my, public r
eer. There are many things worse
than being defeated for congress or
defeated for the speakership' or even
worse than to be defeated for the pres
idenoy, and n Of them is to repudi-
ate the platform on which you are
elected. T.. .., .-~
II a be happy without the presi-
dency. I can be happy without the
speakership. The happiest hours of
1ikJ IA SSo1oIIuL Ill "SAS' SPSAhI VA
the floor of the house engaging freely
in the parliamentary struggles. great
and small, which rage in this large
and energetic body. If my constituents
who have stood by me with mistaken
fidelity should retire me to private
life, I can still be happy in the love
and affection Of my wife and children,
in the society Of my books, and in cul-
tivating flowers and trees.
Gone thing ia. dead sire when i do
go out of public life, whether next
.teart or twenty years hence, it will be
with my integrity unimpaired and my
self-Pespect intact. I will not leave
my children much property, but I will
leave them the rich legacy Of a good
name. which King Solomon says is
more precious than rubies. ,..
"Why have the plutocratic World
and others of its kind made these. false
statements, these base Institutions,
these ugly threats? To bully and
browbeat me into helping to do an I'M
American thing-an utterly unjustifi-
able thing-a thing which will excite
scorn n derision Of the civilized
world. 1t cannot be done. 1 have
courage enough to do it as becomes a
member Of this house and the speak
er thereof.
I have no criticism to make on the
democrats who are going to vote for
repeal. I have co-operated with them
so long, we have lost and won togeth-
er SO often. that it is with genuine
sorrow that I cannot see as they see.
I entertain a genuine affection for the
members Of this house. Some of them
have said things about me which they
will regret when their fever cools
down, but I pass them by. The gen
tleman from Texas (Mr. Henry and
the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr.
Sherley) became extremely heated be-
cause I exercised the right which they
reserve to themselves: that is, of vot-
ing as 1t seemed to me was right. So
far as the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Hardwiok) is concerned, 1 say,
shoe. fly, don't bother me. Shoe, fly,
don't bother me-
IT nave no word Of criticism for my
democratic friends who. are going to
vote for the repeal. We have worked
together too long; We have fought
shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart
too often: we have mourned together
in defeat for sixteen years, but never
Were disheartened; we have r~ejoicec
together in our victories during the
last -four years and / hope we will have
cause to rejoice in many more.
with deep affection
land recollection e .
II often think Of the 172 demo.
Gratis and thirty odd insurgent re
publicans who achieved our great
victory on March 10, 1909, which
started a political revolution. / love
those men too well to quarrel with
them now. You and I, MI. Speaker
happened to be democratic leaders
in that historic parliamentary con.
test and among house democrats yor
and I have been the chief beneficiar-
les. You wv the leadership Of the
house and I owe the speakership tt
the fact, fortunate to us, that we
were the democratic leaders on thai
memorable occasion, but I have as.
serted a thousand times, and I de
now assert, that every man of the
172 democrats and thirty odd repub.
leans who fought with us IN that
bloody field is entitled to his full
words of Admiral Winfield Scot
Schley, There was glory. enough fol
ALL With such men I will not quar-
rel. Indeed. the dignity of the high
position which I hold by the partial.
ity Of the house forbids that I quar-.
rel with any member. 1 refuse tc
degrade the speakership by so doing
"I assume that every member viii
vote honestly the way dictated by his
intellect and as his conscience dictates
but why should I be denied the same
privilege? No man here should be g
rubber stamp congressman. I re-
fuse absolutely to be either a rubber
stamp representative or a rubber
stamp speaker. If + did, you would
have no respect for me. T regret
more than I a tell that all Of III
democrats cannot vote together; but
"Tis with our judgments as oul
Watchers; none
eco just alike, yet each believes
his own
$50, if we must differ, let us diffe,
in kindness, and it will be better
much better, for the party, and there.
fore better for the country.
Truth to tell, 1 never spent a:
much time thinking about what my
duty was as upon this. / looked al
see If there was any justification fol
not keeping our platform pledge fol
I desired to stand with the presi.
dent, knowing full well that my motivt
would be misconstrued be every Office
seeker in the land, but, to save my
life. I could couture, no excuse fol
boiling the platform. That is the rea'
son why I was so slow in announcing
my conclusion in the matter. Having
had SO much trouble in coming to 8
determination myself. I asked {
single member to vote as I did. I an
certain that the entire membership Of
the house will bear me out in that
statement.
"On the 10th day Of August, 1898,
made my first speech in the house
On that occasion, as on this. a plat.
form figured in the proceedings
Among other things I said:
81 am a democrat. / stand by ths
platform-by all of it--by every jo
and title OF it, because I believed il
1t with NV whole heart when it wa