The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-05-23
SENATOR RANSDELl
DEFENDS PRESIDENT
Stood Up in the United States Senate
and Repudiates Creelman Article
As Washington Post Fake. -.
CAUSES COLLAPSE OF CHARGE
Alleged That Wilson Had Directly
Threatened Recalcitrant Members
With Loss of Political Patronage =
BY Congressman G. H. Tavenner.

BY Congressman G. H. Tavenner.
Washington, May 23.-The fire.
quently repeated charge that Presi.
dent Woodrow Wilson has been
using the patronage club to coerce
Democratic members of congress in
to supporting the presidents legis.
lative program has collapsed.
The collapse followed sensa-
tional newspaper article by James
Creeland in which he alleged the
proof that President Wilson has
directly threatened recalcitrant mem
beers with the loss of their political
patronage.
- Mr. Creelman is a Bull Moose.
Many of the Bull Moose leaders, be-
ing patriotic rather than partizan,
although disagreeing with portions OF
the Democratic legislation policy,
have been generous in their praise
of the Wilson administration. But
Mr.. Creelman feels that there is no
sense in being connected with an op-
position party unless you do some
opposing. Consequently, he came
down from New York and went over
the administration record with a
magnifying glass to find something
to criticise
He found it. Somebody whisper
ed in his ear that during the tariff
debate the president tried to threaten
Senator Ransdell of Louisiana to
make him support the bill, which
provided for free sugar, a PROPOSE
ton to which Senator Ransdell was
unalterably opposed. The incident
came from Mr.. Creelman's typewriter
in the following lurid sentences:
GIN the end Mr.. Wilson again ask
ed Senator Ransdell to vote for free
sugar, saying that no individual SEN
ator had the right to blockade a great
party program, and once more Sen
ator Ransdell said that he would not
violate his word or betray the in
terests of his constituents.
"Then the president stood up
There was a smile on his face, but
a cold look in his eyes and a hard
ring in his voice.
Very we'll, SENATOR he said
then you and must, as it were ."gC
to the mat" but I want to let you
know that if we are to fight it out
shall use every weapon at. my COM
mand.'"
Just as graphic as if Creelman had
stood by, notebook in hand, and had
taken down the conversation!
Unfortunately for Mr.. Creelman
however, the incident never hap.
pened. Senator Ransdell fought
the tariff bill bitterly. He has nc
reason save that of honesty and fai,
play to wish to the shield the ad.
ministration from any criticism that
might attend the tariff legislation
But when Senator Ransdell read the
Creelman article, which was printed
in John R. McLean's Washington
Post, he stood up in the senate anl
repudiated the entire article as 8
fake. He said in conclusion:
''Since Mr.. Wilson's inaugural
tion there have been vacancies in
four presidential offices in louisa
ma which are regarded as senatorial
patronage-two district attorneys
a United States marshal, and a col
lector of internal revenue-all fou1
of which have been filled by the ad
vice and ito the entire satisfaction
of Senator Thornton and myself.
THE highest salaried of these pc
sitions-internal revenue collector
: was given to my very intimate
friend, John Fauntleroy, about tw'
months ago at my special request
!. Moreover, the six. officials appointe,
by the Treasury department undo
the income tax service in Louisiana
were selected on the suggestion Q
Senator Thornton and myself, an
neither of us has any complaint Of
the score of patronage"