Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-10-28
KANSAS coNGREssMEN try TO PUT
ONE OVER
Seek to Convince Voters That Republic
ans, Who Saved Measure, Deserve
No Credit

dSIllItS COil. u u, OCTOBER 4--geO-
pie who live in Washington and are
familiar with conditions surrounding
the enactment of legislation have
been surprised TO read in Kansas pa
pers that certain Democratic mem
bers of the house from Kansas have
been claiming great credit for the en-
actment of the widows pension bill
during the last days of the last ses-
sion of congress, because it is one
bill that was passed without party
lines being drawn. Any attempt to
make political capital because of it is
only based upon the ignorance of
those whom it is sought to influence,
probably because they consist in the
greater part of women, who are as
sumed not TO be posted in such mat
tiers.
Ashbrook Praises Republicans
This bill passed the house June It,
1916, without roll call, and its author,
William A. AsfrSrook in a speech de-
livered September 7, 1916, stated:
81 am quite willing to give credit
where credit is due, and do not hes
itate to say that L am indebted to
Minority Leader Mann and the dis
tinguished ex-speaker, Uncle Joe Can
non, for their good support and assis-
tance. Both these gentlemen and
many others on the other side were
Istrongiy in favor of this bill. In the
same speech he said: II have the
very great honor to be the author of
the widows pension bill, which pass
ed the house on June 1t, 1916. with
out roll call and without single
word of opposition. The only south
ern Democrats who spoke on this bill
were Senators Hoke Smith and Ward
aman. The record is also in evidence
| that the following Democratic sena-
tors Taggart of Indiana; James, OF
Kentucky; Kern, of Indiana; Stone,
of Missouri; Owen, of Oklahoma;
Myers. of Montana; Chiffon, of West
1 Virginia; Thomas, of Colorado; and
Thompson, of Kansas. It is o My fair
to the Repubiicansto say that Seua-
tors Smoot, of Utah; Nelson, of Min
nesota; Curtis, of Kansas: Jones, oil
Washington; and Clapp, OF Minneso-
ia, spoke in favor of the bill, and nc
Republican opposed it. A single SEN
ator could have defeated the bill, but
no southerner or northexner cared to
assume that responsibility"
The above is taken from the speech
of the author of the bill, and should
be convincing.
The Inside Story
Following is little inside history
which was we'll known on the Senate
side. The Democratic caucus did not
include the bill on their program o1
Legislation which they adopted for en-
actment before adjournment. Senator
Curtis was watching the bill. Senator
Smoot was member of the Senate
committee on pensions, and the Dem
ocratic chairman, Senator johnson
was at home in Maine busy in his
work for reelection to the senate
leaving no one to look out for the bill
on the Democratic side. Congress
was to adjourn within a day or two
so Senator Smoot, of Utah, and Cur
tbs, of Kansas, got together and talk
ed with a number of Republican sen
ators, and they agreed to force a vote
on the bill Senator Smoot had a
copy of the bill and report on his
desk, so had Senator Curtis, and both
were on guard and ready and determ
ined 70 call the bill up at the first op
tporlunity, and they SO notified the
Democrats. Whep this notice was
given, some members of the Demo
cratic majority notified the presiding
officers, and he recognized Senator
lTaggart to call up the bill. The rec
ord shows that Taggart was so poorly
Informed on the bill that Smoot, Cur
tis, Nelson and Jones and others rar
the bill through, and that Senator
Thomas, a Democrat, in behalf o
Senator Bryan, of Florida, objected
to the senate amendment which ex
TENDED the provisions of the law Il
all widows, who had married the sol
dier prior to the date of the passag,
of the bill, and said he would defea
the bill by objection il the house pro
vision, which only made the law ap
ply to widows who married the sol
dier prior to June 81, 1905, was no
insisted upon Rather than have TIN
measure defeated, Republicans ant
other friends of the widows, who be