The Republican journal., 1915-07-01
Republican Constructive Legis-
latiOn.
THE POSTAL SAVINGS BANK.

THE POSTAL SAVINGS BANK.
WASHINGTON, June 2S, 1915. The fire.
ouency with which the Postoffice Depart
ment makes elaborate announcement OF
the success of the Postal Savings Bank,
and its effusiveness in laudation of that
branch of the service, might lead some
people to believe that the Democratic
party was the originator of that govern
mental aid to small savings. 1t will be
surprising, therefore, to those who are
not familiar with the facts, when the
record is brought forward to show that
the Postal Savings Bank law was enacted
with almost Unanimous opposition on the
part of Democratic Senators and Rep
resentatives.
Examination of the record in this re-
gard is particularly opportune in view of
the recent declaration of President Will
son that the Republican party has not
had a new idea for thirty years. The
Postal Savings Bank law, in the form in
which it was enacted. must certainly
have been Republican idea as distin-
guished from a Democratic idea. for it
was passed by Republicans over the pro-
test of Democrats.
This measure was enacted in 1910, and
signed by President Taft on June 25th OF
that year. Il was introduced in the Sen
ate by the late Senator Carter of Mon
tana. 1t was reported to the Senate by
a Republican committee, and passed by
that body by vote of fifty to twenty
two, every affirmative vote except one
being by Republican, and every adverse
vote being cast by Democrat. OF those
Senators who were paired, every Demo-
crat was paired against, and every Re-
publican paired in favor of the bill.
A similar situation confronted the
measure on its arrival in the House. 1t
passed that body after considerable de-
bate by vote of 1876 to lo2, party lines
being very strictly observed.
Among those distinguished gentlemen
who voted against the bill were A. 5.
Burleson, the present Postmaster Cen
eral: Champ Clark of Missouri, the then
minority leader ard present Speaker OF
the House; Congressman Moon OF len
nessee, the then ranking member OF the
House Postofice Committee and now
Chairman of the Committee; Represen-
tative Fitzgerald of New York, the pres
ent leader of the Democratic side of the
House; and Mr.. Oscar ". Underwood,
the newly elected Senator from Alabama.
Few measures in that Congress were
fought more bitterly by the Democrats
than was the Postal Savings Bank bill.
All sorts of evil in government and
finance were predicted as result of the
enactment of such a policy into law. The
principal argument made against the
bill were that it would lead to the estab-
lishment of a central bank. that money
would be drawn from private banks to be
deposited in the Postal Savings Bank,
and that money would be drawn from the
OUTLYING communities to the commercial
centers. But time and experience have
demonstrated the wisdom of those Re
publican leaders who framed the legisla-
ton, pushed it to enactment, and put it
into operation. No small measure OF
their reward is in witnessing the long de-
layed acknowledgement on the part OF
the Democrats that this legislation was
wise and beneficial.
AS piece of permanent constructive
legislation, it will stand as testimony
to the efficiency of Republican Con-
gress and Republican president.T Al
though the original act has beenEamend-
ed in some minor parts, it still stands on
the statute books in its original form,
and any proposed changes are matter
of detail and not Of fundamental i'm
portance.