Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-03
Presidents Mistake in
Jones Affair and
What 1t Might
Have Cost
Several Western States Electing
Senators, and Western Farm
ers Are Wasting No Love on
The Harvester Trust--Rural
Credit Legislation Effectively
Shelved

Washington, d. c., Aug. 1.-(Spe-
ciar-Congress is rubbing its eyes
and wondering If a new era has come
The Senate has won in controversy
with President Wilson. For over a
year the Senate did as the White
House swilled. Democrats did not
dare rebel. But a nomination for
the federal reserve board OF direc-
tor Of the Harvester Trust, Thomas D.
Jones of Chicago, was more than
many patient Democrats could bear.
The President pressed the fight for
weeks but the rebellion only grew
First one and then another stepped
out of the ranks. No one paid much
attention when Reed of Missouri
bolted. He was simply striking"
for something the President had re-
fused him in the way of patronage
Similarly Hitchcock of Nebraska But
other Democratic senators were fol-
lowing, who had no such motives and
who sincerely prefer to stand with
the administration unless it becomes
too rank.
In the fact of such resistance the
ton of Jones had been an error. The
Presidents letter to Senator Owen of
Oklahoma, chairman of the banking
and currency committee, praising
Jones as a personal friend and as
having gone into the Harvester Trust
directorate for the purpose of re-
forming that Ubiquitous trust was a
mistake. Jones own testimony
showed that he had gone into the
Harvester Trust for no such pur-
pose. Cyrus Mccormick, head of
the concern and a personal friend.
had asked him to come in and Jones
accepted, approving, as he testified,
of the policies of the Harvester Trust
or recent years. He was mentioned
as defendant in the governments
suit for the dissolution of the trust
but justified the policies of the Har-
Yester Trust. SO he told the banking
and currency committee.
One does not easily understand the
CONSERVATION all this caused to
Democrats of the middle West where
the Harvester Trust is cordially de-
tested. That trust has been an issue
IN the politics of the agricultural
states for many years. The farmers
nave fought it to little purpose. The
trust has been too powerful for them.
They defeated it in the matter of
binding Irvine by having binding
Irvine manufactured in their states
prisons, but the trust kept its hand
on the manufacture of agricultural
machinery.
Several western states are electing
senators this year. A vote for Jones
as member of the federal reserve
board meant Democrat might as
Wei relinquish his hopes of getting
pack here for another six years term.
"A Few of them were preparing to go
up Tor slaughter, like Senator
Shively of Indiana. He has been
nominated for reelection. Indiana
is a close state politically. So is
Missouri, where the Harvester Trust
is an obnoxious corporation Sena
TOR Stone, in poor health but Ioyal to
the administration, chairman of the
po"er1ul committee on foreign rela-
tons, was preparing to take his madi-
cine. He. too, has been renominated
ana is understood to have telephoned
the White House that his vote for
Jones meant only one thing. the eIec-
tlon OF a Republican senator from
Missouri.
the President has been getting
crltlclsm on two counts, in connec-
tlon with the Jones inciosnt Demo-
Gratis say 1t is most Democratic
Tor President of their own party
thus to nominate a trust official n a
great administrative office. Rut ono
hears much about the executive donoi-
nation over Congress. The surren-
ger as TO Jones has brought out this
crieiolsm. fresh and strong. The
PRESIDENT has demanded much of the
senate and the House He wanted
what he wanted and when he wanted
IL. There has been mighty little re-
cess1on on his part. He expected
congress to take orders. And in the
case OF Jones, although surrendering
the PRESIDENT wrote letters contain.
ing characterizations of the recalci-
trant Democrats which will rankIa
for awhile.
me partisanship of the nominations
ior the federal reserve board was
particularly offensive to the Senate
mere was no mention in the currency
law ABOUT the board being composed
Oh democrats and Republicans. Com
seQuently the President nominated
nve democrats to the five positions
Inc two ex-of1cio members. the sec.
rotary OF the treasury and the comm
troiier OF the currency, are, of course.
iocrats. But the prospect was
Tor solid Democratic federal reserve
BOARD. Congress. somehow or other
raiied to make any provision for a BIZ
partisan board. This is regarded as
unfortunate. The success of ad.
ministration by such means in other
branches of government is attributed
much to the fact that there are man
OF both parties serving. The inter-
state commerce commission is an ex-
ample. Indeed it was stated in the
Senate the other do,, H.. A..