The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-02-17
Send -e..---5fcher Had
Reply 10 Attack Upon
Southern C0ngresSnen

Washington, Feb. 16.--In the SEN
ate yeterday Senator Fletcher made
q vigorous reply to an attack upon
Southern congressman by Senator
Lenroot Of Wisconsin, in debate up
on an amendment to the postofice
and post roads appropriation bill pro-
posing an appropriation Of SITE, 000,-
600 for improvements Of roads on ru-
raj mail routes, of which amount
$3,15O,25S.97 would be authorized for
FLORIDA roads. The Wisconsin sena.
tor, in the course Of the debate said:
LET me say in this connection, Mr..
President. that complaint is very o.
ten made by Southern states against
Republicans because they have some
times called attention to what they
trem a sectional issue in this govern
ment. 1t is true that the Republi-
cans have called attention to the
control Of legislation by Southern
states: but by the action of South
ern states, as represented in both
houses Of congress, they are contin.
ually demonstrating that from that
section there is very little response.
Eility from a national standpoint con-
corning expenditures, provided only
the appropriations ,shall be expended
in their own states.
"A river and harbor bill might be
proposed hede, and there is scarcely
any sum that might be appropriated
in that river and harbor bill that
would not receive almost the solit.
support of the Southern states, pro-
yided that they thought they got their
. share of the appropriation. o
Senator FIetchero Replies
Senator Fletcher, replying, said:
"Nlr President, ! shall not under
; take to discuss this measure In any
i,Getail. am extremely anxious thet
NC should COIN. to vote on 1t and
get it disposed Of and 60 on with 9th
er business of the senate. It is very
important that we should dispense
:. with all discussion that can reason
ably be dispensed with and proceed
especially with enactment Of the sup.
ply bills, and we have not any time
to lose. | promise to ia very few
minutes am in favor of the me as.
ure and in favor of the bill as report.
= ed by the. committee. and | hope II
will be passed.
n 81 rose more particularly to make
some reference to the closing 70
marks of tho senator from Wisconsin
(Mr. LenrotD l scarcely feel that
these remarks ought to be allowed
to stand without comment and to pass
unnoticed.
"The senator took occasion to refer
to the position of the South in refer.
ence to legislation, and the represen.
tatives of the South, both in the
house and in the senate, he stated,
were devoid of that proper sense Of
responsibility in matters Of legisla.
ton. He went on further to say that
these representatives of the South
were in favor OF any appropriation so
| long as they got their share of it.
| Il am disappointed in that sort OF
statement being made here by the
senator from Wisconsin. l can ,un
derstand how something of that sort
might be said on the stump in the
heat Of political campaign, for po
litical purposes, but a statement com
ing like that goes beyond all bounds
of propriety or of justice and Is
wholly unwarranted.
Z Feel Utter Contempt.
n Sdu AOt uSlp lCoiill6, lIdukueSs
J compels me to say It, an utter con
] tempt for that man in public or pri
I waite life who would array one section
4 Of this country against another, o.
: the people Of one section against tn,
& people of another section. / hav,
Z never classed the senator from Wis
4 consin among those who would d,
; that and do not now, think b,
Z probably allowed his zeal in the argu
= ment he was making to go furthe
- than he really feels himself he wal
justified In going. | want to retain
that respect which have always en-
tertained for the senator, and pro
/ pose to do so If he viii allow me, bu
cannot permit a statement of tina
sort to stand without some protest
Without going into any detailed dis
cussion of that matter or of that idei
would like to put this inquiry
What proportion of this billion dol
lars that goes to the wheat grower,
0f the rnutrv oonc ~ fha CoukhS