The Springdale news., 1914-02-06

charge of such things would give him q hearing, and with an inclination 10 meet his views if precedents and justice justified it He said that one conspicuous service assigned to him was being placed in charge, by common consent, Of the "filibuster" conducted by the Democrats near the end of President Taft's administra= tion to prevent the confirmation of about 1000 Republican officeholders whose terms would have continued nearly four years, had the k publi- can Senate confirmed them. This was sought to be justified on the ground that it was not equitable to have a Democratic administration represented in it's practical opera tion by that number of Republican officeholders, and besides it WIS thought that the patronage rightful- ly went With the VictOrs- This fili- buster was conducted with entire success and was the occasion of many compliments to the senator. He said that during the last reorgan- ization of Democratic forces in the senate he might have had the lead ership for the taking; that much ne gotiation was indulged in order 10
 
 the conference, or, as he is popular ly called, the leader of the party He said that he had committed him self to the support of a friend of his who was a candidate, and that not withstanding committee repf sent ing clear majority of all the Demo crats had urged him to accept the place, he felt that he could not do Gn without HaltGinp senator bn had promised to support to miscon= strue his attitude and possibly as sume that he had not supported him ia good faith He would not even for that high price permit a misuh= derstanding in q matter of good faith To arise.
 Vote on Panama Ire aty.
 He said that charge had been made by eFil-mlnded persons in some cases and by misinformed persons in others, that he had frequent. toted with the Republicans. iie sad tnsst this charge had it's origin in his vote 10 ratify the treaty with =Panaz ma shortly after he went into the Senate He said, in justification Of his action, that lie had promised the people of Arkansas 10 do what lie eonld to secure the prompt coastrH9= ton of the Panama Canal, that he saw the opportunity. and. alter conz sideriHg the aus stfon ill all it's branches, decided that =tIler# Wa5 10 party promise that would 6e-Nso lated by this action m ta6t, it-@a a5 lot party question at=aIf. hut all international qa=ston ot develop mant The Democratic minority Was then very small and under control of an oHgarchy that did nOt Xette the respect or challenge the saRmissz ion of the senator He dsd not vote with the Republicans on that occ-tsz ion, further than 10 notify those th charge of the D mo ratte caucus that he would not De bound 64 aa8 cut and dried acton th might take that he would settle the matter e his vote on this question with h55 constituents lis determined q and 7 liant attitHda broke down the olpe sition so that the caucus was not ab= le to pass the asoutoa declaring the canal proposition 10 b. a party question. Every senator was lelt free to vote upon the floor is h might elect to dc. On the final r7H4 call upon the ratification ot the treaty, the 35 Democrats divided, F. ill favor of the ratification of th treaty To Is againust II. The QeAez cratic cOnA enti0n at St Io4ss eA pressly approved the ?. rt taken IL this matter by tae ell ocratic m3 nority and claimed part of the cred= 1t for having profid q system ot laws by which thls gr- at work could go forward to all early completion. He said that the claim was riehttut- ly made, and that he, as one of the Democrats was responsible for H. and would not have that party s9 down in history without having awarded to the Democratic party the credit it's m ambers had eafHt for lt.
 The next fouf dalton. he sad. for the charge that h. had Vot q wita the Republicans Was in connection With the adoption of the BristoW amedment He said the BristoW amendment was no amendment at al, but was simply proposition to leave the constitution of the Init d States as it had been from the be ginning, that section 1 or article of the constitution prov ided that the members of Congress and senators should b. elected according to laws passed by the several states, bat re served to the national goyernnme mt the right to make or alter such laws from time to time
 The proposition submitted was to eliminate the last clause, and to make the election of nators under the new amendment to the constitH- tion depend upon state laws entire. ly Framed in that Way, the amend ment providing for the direct cleo ton of senators could not have com handed two-thirds vote in the Sen ate, nor could it have received tEe approving votes of the three fourths Of the states necessary for it's ratifi- cation. It was perfectly evident that to insist upon taking away form the national government the same right to frame laws providing for the election of senators that have all along existed in the ease Of memb= CTS of Congress, would be to delay and defeat the great reforms inyolv- ed in the direct election of sena- tors by the people and in depriving