South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-25

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would be hurtful 10 the interests Of
these corporations. II is now the
law that you have the privilege Of
voting direct for United States SEN
ators. This change has resulted in
a general cleanup in senate and now
that body is filled with members like
Sens Shively and Kern. who repre-
sent the people.
For many years the labOring men
OF the country had been petitiOning
and praying for certain legislation
While the republicans were in con-
troll I saw piled upon the sreaker's
desk petitions said to have been
signed by more than a million work
ingmen asking for certain legisla-
ton the party in power turned a deaf
ear 10 these workingmen. Our
party has passed "a bills directly in
the interest of labor and / do not be-
lieve there are very many migrate
full working men in this country.
Republican Prophecy False.
1T was also charged by our re-
publican friends that if we secured
control Of the government the old
| soldier could not secure an increase
Of his pension. 1 served in congress
six years under republican rule dur
ing which time l tried in every con-
ceivable way TO secure the passage
OF a law giving TO soldiers of the
Civil war a liberal increase of PEN
sion. but the party in power re-
fused them relief Just as soon as
you gave us a democratic house we
reported out of the pension commit
tee the most liberal pension bill ever
enacted into law in the history OF
the country. and passed il through
that body in less than a week. 1t
increased the pension roll about
S4O.OOO,OOO the first year and was
about three times the biggest pen
sion bill ever enacted. mention
this TO show that the charge made
by our republican friends that the
soldiers would not be taken care Of
il we democrats came into power
was not true.
when / entered congress about
10 years ago the government was
appropriating about $4,000. 600 an
nually for the use Of the agricultur-
al department. We democrats have
insisted upon giving TO agriculture
the benefit Of extension work. and
TO that end we have increased from
time to time the appropriations I'M
til last year we gave 20 that depart
ment more than S2O.OOO,OOO. We
also passed the lever agricultural
I extension bill which carries with it
a large appropriation for the bene-
fit of agriculture. aid will work a
great benefit 10 American farm
err la f:ct tf democratic admin
istratio0 aiken advantage Of
every OPP 'Hi.y to aid agriculture
TO the er u we may make farm
life NOR ant and at the same
time m oitable Under the
work o. agricultural department
our far - are now producing
much ~ e than they were a few
years arc, and the limit of increase
has not yet been reached.
What Peace Means To Us.
Some criticism has been made
Of the foreign policy of the admins
tration. If you were to ask me
whether any mistakes have been
made in relation to our foreign
policy. / would not be in a position
TO give you an intelligent answer.
While | have been a member of con-
gress for 10 years and have had in
all probability better opportunity
than most of you have had TO know
the facts, yet the truth about the
matter is. the greater part of the
information upon which the action
of the president and the state de-
partment is based on secret infor-
nation and / am therefore not able
TO say TO you whether any mistakes
have been made of not, but 1 will
tell you what / do know.
Il do know that we do not have
in this country 100000 widows as
the result of war; l do know we do
not have 100000 little children
who are fatherless and homeless;
do know that 100000 Of our best
men have not been killed or wound
ed: 1 do know that we do not have
debt of more than $4,000 90 G, 600
piled upon us; 1 % know we
have peace in this country that
is what l want. and that is wat you
want
Some criticism has been made of
the administrations policy in MeXi-
co, but II seems to me such criticism
is not justified. A stable form of
government is now being establish
ed in Mexico which in a short time
will be recognized by practically
every nation in the world, and this
has been done without costing US the
lives of thousands of our boys and
without piling a debt Of millions up
on us for which you would have
been taxed TO pay.
MilIiOnaircs i'm Mexico.
The criticism sprung largely
from few of our milliOnaires who
went down into Mexico during the
Madero administration and through
| questionable methods secured pos
session Of several hundred thousand
| acres of valuable land and million
If dollars worth OF valuable mines,
and then came back TO this country
and tried TO force the administra-
ton into Intervention and into a
war with Mexico What for? Why.
TO put value into their questionable
! investments and TO give them title