The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-05-26
CLAPP FOR SENATOR.

United States Senator Moses E.
Clapp for reelection.
We are for Senator Clapp because
we like him and we believe that he
is the best fitted for the office.
That Senator Moses e. Clapp has
always been in accord with public
sentiment, and that his votes in the
u. S. senate have been recorded as a
majority of the people of the state
would have registered their own
opinions, is fact clearly borne out
by the official records.
In the broad struggle which always
has existed, and exists today, be-
tween the efforts of the few to con-
troll the government in their interest,
and the welfare of the many for
whom government was really insti-
tuted, struggle which formed an i'm
portant part of those great policies
which came to be known as "The
Roosevelt Principles" the senator
took an active part, and was an advo-
cate of those measures which became
laws, and which were approved by
the majority of the voters.
The first thing of Importance taken
up by Senator Clapp, when he en-
tered the senate, was the effort to
amend the Constitution so that U. S.
senator's should be elected by a di-
rect vote of the people. He was an
uncompromising champion of this
amendment and the first U. S. sena-
tor from Minnesota to make speeches
in favor of popular election of sena-
tors.
During his present term, on July
81, 1913, Senator Clapp made this
statement on the floor of the senate:
During my comparatively short
service in this body, I recall the plea
I made for the right of the American
people to elect senators of the United
States, by direct vote, and I was met
with much scorn and derision by
members of this body at that time,
that one distinguished senator could
show his contempt in no other way
than by arising in his place and
leaving this chamber"
In 1903, Senator Clapp, as men,
ber of the great committee on inter-
state commerce, had charge of the
anti-rebate and anti-discrimination
bills, and on February of that year
he called up and put through the
anti-rebate bill. This law was at
tackled and had to run the gauntlet
of the courts, but was sustained at
every point. Subsequently nearly
all the suits brought against COM
binations we're brought under this
law. In 1906, when there was such
a protracted struggle in the senate
over the Hepburn bill, which finally
gave the Interstate Commerce COM
mission the right to fix rates, Clapp
and Dolliver were the leading advo-
Gates of this legislation and it's pas
sage was largely due to the efforts
of Senator Clapp.
Again in 1910, when a great ef-
fort was made to repeal railroad leg
islation, Senators Clapp and Cummins
brought in the minority report con-
demning the action of the majority
of the committee, and pointed out the
reactionary features of the proposed
legislation. In the end, every item
they opposed was stricken out, ex-
cepting the one providing for a COM
merce court, and that was repealed
at the following session.
When the attempt was made in
1911 to subject the farmers of Min
nesota to free trade with Canada,
Clapp was a vigorous opponent of the
bill, speaking several times in oppo-
sition.
Meanwhile he had risen to the po-
sition of chairman of the committee
on interstate commerce, and about
the first thing he did was to offer
and pass a resolution providing for
an investigation into trusts and cor
porations engaged in interstate COM
merce. This was followed by far
reaching and exhaustive series OF
hearings and Investigations lasting
more than a year, and which finally
resulted in the passage of the Federal
trade commission bill and the Clay
ton antitrust act.
All through the summer months
of 1912, when congress was in ses-
sion, and when it was in recess,
Clapp, as chairman of special com
mittee to inquire into the campaign
methods, and the contributions en-
ployed in the presidential and con-
gressional elections of 19O4-19OS,
and the primaries of 1912, conducted
one of the most sweeping inqufsitions
in the history of congress. He sent
subpoenas to men who have played
big politics in a big way during the
past decade, including former presl'
dent of the United States, and for
mer candidate for that office; United
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