Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-25
5RANDEGEE AND WILLIAMS
 IN TILT IN SENATE
When Connecticut Senator Indicates
 His Opposition to Alaska Bill.

The following is taken from the Congressional Record:
 Mr. Brandegee-Before the senator closes, if he will allow me to inter polate one suggestion there, of course the government has a right to do any thing it thinks necessary for the we'll being of this country and it's people if it will amend its Constitution so as to authorize it so to do. We are. how ever, not only gradually entering upon the twilight zone and getting into the penumbra of doubtful authority, but we are pretty well into it aready, without ever having amended out Con- stitutien and we are doing a good many things for which nobody can cite any specific authority in the Consti- tution. It puzzles smarter men than ever Philadelphia lawyers are alleged to be to find warrant or implied au- thority for many of the governments activities at the present time.
 MT. Wiliams-Raising horses, for example.
 E MT. Brandegee-Al sorts Of things educating farmers, Inspecting all about all sorts of things, and collect ing statistics about all sorts of things It is an endless task, it appears to me, and every congress is filled with prop ositions to blow farther into that un- plowed field.
 What I meant to say was tha, If we want to do these semi -socialistic things we should amend the Constitution so as to give us authority to do them. When 1 say ''SocialiStic' 1 do not use that word as a term of reproach, but as defining a kind of government and a policy that does not yet exist in this country. There may be many desir- able things about socialism, but as applied to country of this size the fact that somebody believes in the sys- f0r11 or tad hxr Ia licf not prove that the country will be bet ter off with it.
 What I am afraid of is that if prop oSItionS lik ethat contained in this bill and those corollary thereto suggested by the senator from Nebraska, become the fixed policy of this government even as to Alaska-because we must bear in mind that they are not tried, they are simply experiments now, only on paper-if they should be tried and should be successful as applied to Alaska, what will we have in Alaska? :?
 We will have. as it seems to me. a crown colony run and exploited by the United States government. with all the | transportation owned and operated by the United States government both rail and water. Say what one has a mind to say. if the government owns a railroad in Alaska and the steam boats running from there to Pacific coast points, and perhaps through the dndiIld CdIldl anu lO DOln SOdSlS Ol South America, carrying the commerce, exports and imports to and from Alas ka and the rest of the world on this continent, at least there is no man alive now, and there never will be- and no mbination of them. that will ever have the audacity or the effrontery to enter into competition with the re- sources of 100,000,000 people managed by politicians, for that is the way gov ernment ownership and operation is going to be managed.
 When I say "oliticiaT1S" I do not mean to reflect on anybody. Politics is a respectable calling. It is the sci ence of government. The only way the government can operate anything is by employing men to do 1t, and this is a government of parties. One party beats the other party and takes pos session of the government, and mans and equips the agencies of govern ment with it's adherents. If we pass laws to provide that those operatives i shall be permanent, and shall be maintained during good behavior, and of efficiency, and demonstrated capac- ity, the minute a party that has been out of power long enough to egt hungry gets in, I will not say by one pretext or another, but by one theory of policy, irrespective of what might have been their theory when they made the platform upon which
 
 see that suddenly the expert and quail flied operatives who have had the experience and who have the capacity are suddenly stricken with ineficiensy, and those who have never had any experience in the matter ar the emost efficient. and they get the jobs.
 Mir Williams-I wish to ask the sen ator if he sees any large movement of that sort going on now?
 MT. Brandegee-I have not seen any large movement, but l have seen a. good many alleged attempts and a great deal of literature upon the sub iect and I have seen two bills passed in congress by the votes of the party of the senator from Mississippi which have done that to a certain extent.
 MT Willians-I make the inquiry because I have been anxiously await ing the rising of the sun of patronage, and it has not risen yet
 MT Brandegee-I have not the slightest idea that enough wIIl be re- leased to satisfy the appetite. Do not let the senator from Miss1sssppi mis- understand me. I think there will be wailfng and bowling in his state and in his neighborhood long after they have gotten all they can.