The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-08-11

Following is an excerpt of speech
delivered by Senator James A. Reed
of Missouri in the Senate on July 21st,
when question was up to print as a
public document an argument of the
Armor-Plate Plants against the gov
eminent Armor- Plant bill. 1t is good
reading and not a dull sentence in it:
Mr.. Reed. Mr.. President, / was
obliged to be out of the Chamber a
portion of the morning. | rise to in
quire if during my absence the Senator
from Pennsylvania obtained uDani-
nous consent to print as a public
document the Bethlehem Steel Co.
book?
The Vice President. He has.
Mr.. Reed. That | objected to yes
terday morning?
Mr.. PenrOse. If the Senator will
permit me, / made request for unan-
imous consent and obtained it with the
particular assent of the chairman of
the Naval Committee. In view of the
fact that the chairman of the Naval
Committee had had inserted in the
record large correspondence and a
great deal of data bearing on this
question of a hostile nature to the
proposition which have argued here
in the Senate, only thought it would
contribute further to the enlighten-
ment Of the Senate to present the
cher side of the case. The chairman
of the committee very generously and
properly agreed to my suggestion.
had not intended to press the matter
again had it not been that my atten-
ton was called this morning to the
very large amount of data which had
been inserted in the record by the
chairman of the Naval Committee, to
which, of course, | had no objection.
Mr.. Reed. Mr.. President, the docu-
ment in question is not asked to be
printed as a public document for the
purpose of informing the Senate. The
Senator from Pennsylvania well
knows that fact.
Mr.. PerrOse. Will the Senator per-
nit me? AS l understand it, pub
lie document is not confined to the
purpose of informing the Senate; it
is meant for the purpose of informing
the public.
Purpose to Get Franking Privilege
Mr.. Reed. | was about to say, and
did succeed in saying, that this docu-
ment is not printed as public doc
ument for the purpose of informing
the Senate, because it has already been
circulated among the members Of the
Senate and is now in their possession.
/ now add what l was about to say
when | was interrupted, that it is not
being printed as public document for
the purpose of informing the public
in the sense that ordinary documents
are printed, because it is already pri-
vately printed in large edition, SO
that it can be circulated amongst all
present specially studying the ques-
ton of government armor plant YER
sus private armor plant. It is in
fact being printed as public docu-
ment in order that it may be sent out
with the implied sanction of the SEN
ate of the United States, that the bill
for the printing of this propaganda
issued by privae corporation shall
be paid out of the Public Treasury,
and to the further end that it may
have the franking privilege and be
scattered broadcast over the land as
a Senate document printed at the
public expense and sent out by the
Senate for the public information. 1t
is shameless proposition.
OF course, in view of my objection
the request could not be granted, and
the document could not be printed as
public document unless the Senate
should thereafter take different
course which, it appears, has been
done.
/ specifically call the attention of
the Senate to the quotations from the