Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-22

candidate for president, not only OPP
posed Il, but took the floor against
II. and IN memorable speech on the
floor OF the house during the closing
hours of the debate said. out IN
our country tM&OurD tho word
conscript and convict are synony-
nous would like to ask the moth
crs OF this country whose sons are
dying In France for the cause sons
who are in the selective dratt--if
they look upon those dear boys as
cOnyicts Mr. clark further said:
have a son. he is going TO war, and
II he loses his life, want 1t en-
Igravcd upon his head stone. He died
ia volunteer and not conscripL
meaning convict
THE same democratic leaders OPP
posed all the measures OF the prcsi-
dont-the war declaration itself, tho
selective draft law, and thirdly the
man-pOwcr law. when the law fix
ing the ages Of registration between
the ages Of rs and As was first
brought tu the house sc--rccOmmcndcd
by the president 10y tho chief OF
staff by the secretary of war. and
by General pershing demo-
cratic leaders including Chairman
Dent, again opposed 1t as they had
former laws requested by the presi-
dent--thc democratic organization
opposed II. the same old lineup.
Again | was called upon to put
through an administration measure.
and on the first vote taken In the
house, It carried 10y a majority Of
only A., an overwhelming number
OF democrats opposing IT, But, on
final voting there were only two
members In the congress opposed
tone a socialist ana one demo-
crat who stood by the president
In that?
Through all this troublesome
period. with the anomaly OF the re-
publlcans taking the leadership and
carrying through the presidents war
measures, Pert Chandler stood 10y
ally by me. lie did not only vote
right, but nc worked himself down
by hard labors.
81 have observed Bert Chambers
record on the door OF the house,
and know his record as II patriot.
have met him In the departments;
I know what he has done on the
floor, In the lobbies and work for
his constituents, and ! want the
people Of this district to hear me
when | say he Is 100 per cent pure
American.
II notice in the opposition press
that he is being criticized for his
vote on the espionage act Now. !
believe | can talk with some degree
of authority on that. That bill was
drafted in the office OF the attorney
general, and sent to the house di-
rect from that office. Immediately
after It was put in print, there was
an avalanche OF American newsna-
| a N
Washington. The original bill was
so drastic that Il would never have
passed any legislative body on earth
that believes in free press and free
speech, which Ii the cornerstone up
on which our liberties IL founded.
The newspaper men did not want
such a reflection on their integrity.
They wanted to do, and did do, and
we have done since, voluntarily,
what a subordinate In the attorney
generals office wanted to compel
Il them to do by law. The bill was de-
feated in the house by an over
whelming majority. ] voted against
It, and l spoke against 1t, and so did
numerous democrats. and II was de-
feated in the house, went to the
senate where II was unanimously
defeated In its original wording,
anu went 10 INC VIM hAop
changed the law, struck out the OBJ
4 iectionable portion which muzzled
the press and played into the hands
OF the German agents, came back
to the house carrected, and was
passed without opposition, by either
Bert Chandler or any other repub-
lican or democrat. The democrats
are in majority In both the house
and the senate, and II IL was law
to their liking. they could have
passed Il. The conferees were DEM
! ocratic by majority, and II the
| original bill had been to their liking,
they could have recommended 1t.
The president did not want II
to become law. for Immediately
after the passage OF the espionage
act he sent for me to come to the
White House, where he warmly con-
| gratulatd me upon my service In be-
! half OF such war measures.
I II also note that Mr.. Chandler has
! been accused OF 'dodging;' that he
absented himself during some roll
calls. Let me say that the congress
man who sits In his seat and awaits
| only a roll call, for no other benefit
| than keeping record straight to
show his political opponents will
| never amount TO much as con-
gressman. Stop and consider the
hundreds Of little things that come
up daily in the life of congress
man that call him down to the doz-
| ems OF different departments, and
! let me ask how would congress-
| man serve his constituency II he re-
mained always in his seat waiting
| for a roll call. especially when he
! had been advised that his vote was
| not necessary for the successful pas
sage of n bill. That reminds me or
| a speech by that great English lover
! Of America. Edmund Burke, deliy-
cred in Bristol in 1880, years before
our own constitution was framed, In
which he said: How can | go to the
| admiralty for you, or to the Gus
! toms house for you. and look after
your interests, II | sit idly In my
1 seat?'
That form OF legislative method
! was inherited by tho American con-
gress, and no thinking person would
! condemn a member for being absent
/ from roll call when his vote were
not needed; and as partlsanship has
Iheen dismissed by most OF the mem
! bers Of congress, no party votes were
taken.
! The republicans since the decla-
ration OF war forgot that they were
republicans; they forgot that the
! president was a democrat. but re-
membered only that the country was
! in a great struggle, and that thcy