Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-16
IA FOLI.ETTE HEARING
ENDS; SENATOR BALKS
Refuses to Take Part in Inquiry
on Conditions Imposed by
Subcommittee
SAYS HE'S BEEN INsULTED
All Statements in His st. Paul Speech
True, He Insists-Would Face
His Accusers
WASHINGTON. oct. 1s.

WASHINGTON, oct 1d.
Hearings in the Ia Toilette investigation
were ended today by the Wisconsin sena-
tors refusal TO take part in the inquiry
under the conditions imposed by the Senate
subcommittee. Chairman Pomerene an
nounced following an executive session,
fhht no more hearings would be held by the
t|Iiccial committee considering La FoHette's
cxbulson They will obtain information
from e.ner sources, including the state De-
partment, concerning La Folette's state
ments and win report to the December
session OF Congress.
senator La Toilette appeared before the
subcommittee but only to submit letter
outlining his stand
''rbat is all the statement | deem Il
pcptr or necessary for me to make at
this time" he said. "and | say good MORN
ing to YOU gentlemen"
without another word he walked out OF
the committee room.
Senator La Toilette. in his letter. in-
sisted that all the statements i'm his st.
Paul speech were true and demanded the
right to face those who challenged them.
He declared that to deny any man the
right to produce witnesses and cross-exam-
inc them was AN insult"
'"ro deny It to a Senator Is an insult
to the individual and the high office he occu-
pies" said Senator La Toilette.
''The speech contains scores Of state
ments rellting to a variety of SUBJECTS
Including the subject of taxation in Wis
consn aud in other States, the financing OF
this and other wars, the amounts of money
raised by taxation and bond issues 10
finance other wars the injustice and wrong
Involved i'm the methods adopted by the
Congress IN fin iucing the present war, the
large profits that various concerns and indl-
viduals are making out of this war, ana
the large and ,unconscionable profits whlch
Ia, 40 NUT Of other and a
large number of other statements.
''rhe newspapers have reported from
time TO time since you first wrote me III
this matter your activities in gathering
statements and records to he used as eNi-
dence IN the proceeding. ] hope THAT these
reports were incorrect for have received
no notices of such action on the part of the
. committed nor have ! been afforded an
opportunity to examine or refute anything
that may have been SO gathered. From the
same sourIe--the newspapers am ad-
vised that what | said in reply TO the
uuestion from the audience concerning the
Iusitania matter was to be special SUD
ject of Investigation by your committee
earnestly hope that what l said on that
subject may be thoroughly Investigated,
and THE accuracy of every statement tested
nv the records and unimpeachable test-
rnony both Of which ! ask you to produce
before your committee, If my statements
are controVerted by evidence as well as
may appear to testify as to the incorrect
ness of any fact stated by me.
.'It seems to me that common courtesy
and recognition of the rules universally
applied in this country in the interest OF
fairness TO all Investigations Of this char
acter. to say nothing of franlness and can,
dor, require that l should be furnished
with a statement OF those matters, the ae-
curacy of which the committee desires 10
Inquire into. in order that may enter upon
the proceeding fully prepared to meet and
= rebut any testimony that may be onered
10 show any error in my statements.
"You say that the committee has chal-
lenged the accuracy of no assertion in the
speech. Then l must be entitled to be ad-
tvised who has challenged the accuracy of
any statement in the speech before another
step is taken in this proceeding. The reso-
luton Of the Minnesota Commission on
Public Safety upon which you assert you
are acting, does not challenge the accuracy
Of any statement made in the speech"