Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-25

my cwn views as to the duty of Con.
| gress to investigate, not in my owr
words, but in the words of another
| l quote:
Unless Congress have and use
| every means of acquainting itseli
with the acts and disposition of the
| administrative agents >f the govern
ment the country must be helpless
! to learn how it is being served, and
| unless Congress both scrutinize these
| things and sift them by every form
! of discussion the country must re-
main in embarrassing and Gripping
| ignorance of every force which it is
most important that it should un-
| derstand and direct. The informing
| function of Congress should be pre-
ferred even to its legislative func-
ton
Stress Congressional Function
Il want you to especially remem-
/ Der that
1.-The informing function of Con-
gress should be especially preferred
even to its legislative function. The
argument is not only that the dis
Cussed and interrogated administra-
ton is the only pure and efficient ad-
ministration, but more than that,
that the only well-governing people
is that people which discusses and
lIteETOSaLeS llS
This quotation which | have given
you admirably sets forth the duty of
Congress of all times, and especially
at such a time as this. 1t is from II
work on congressional government
by the then Professor Woodrow Will
son. (ApplauSe.) 1t is the principle
upon which / shall act and upon
which | hope every upright and
faithful servant of the people IN
Congress will act.
In the two houses of Congress
during the year that is just closing
the year that opened with the
airy 81 last, which was. in effect, a
declaration of war against the Unit
ed States--there has been Il fine dis
regard of partisanship among the
members of all parties taken as
whole in Congress. There has been
almost no attempt to hamper the
prosecution of the war by injecting
partisanship or making party
harangue. This has been the rule.
Stone Exception TO Rule
The most conspicuous exception
was furnished the other day by Sen
ator Stone, of Missouri, when Sena-
tor Stone made strong partisan
speech. but the partisanship was the
least offensive portion of his speech.
1t was also a mendacious speech, but
the mendacity was not the most Of
fensive portion of the speech, which
was, perhaps, not wholly uncharac-
teristic.
''The really offensive portion of
the speech was that il was an at
tack on the interest of the United
States, and, therefore, an insidious
effort on behalf of Germany.
This is the same Senator Stone
who a year from last fall was en-
gagged in defending himself from the
revelations of Bernard Ridder as to
his (Mr. Stone's) negotiations for
the German vote and his effort to
persuade the Germans that he (Sen-
ator Stone) was speaking with au-
thority when he said that the gov
ernment would only make believe to
be against them, but would really
be for them. This is the same SEN
ator Stone who voted against the
declaration of war last year. He is
the same Senator Stone who engaged
in filibustering operations against
our taking action to defend our
selves. filibustering operations of the
kind which drew public rcbuEe to
those engaged in them from the
President of the United States.
Accused of Aiding Germany
Senator Stone did all he could