Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1920-01-02

washington, OSC' 90 ~ HAeAAJ
speeches are made in the House of
Representatives that few of them
ever get notice. What with the coal
strike and treaty controversy and
n broad legislation to fuss with, and
tie "end of the world" to brighten
folks with, a good, Old-fashioned
roueh-and-tumble speech of the kind
that makes American politics appe-
tizing passes on to the obscurity
of the record unless those who
chance to have heard it spread the
word that it is worth reading.
Such speech has just been de-
livered by Representative Finis ].
Garrett, whose remarks have at
tracted considerable attention, first,
among business men, who resent the
sweeping imputation and generaliza-
lions that just because they did bust
ness with the Government during the
war they must necessarily have de-
frauded the Government, and sec
ond, among the Democrats who have
keen snarting under the attack OF
their Republican colleagues concern
ing the conduct of the war and the
attitude of some Of their colleagues
toward the health of President Will
son. The occasion was the discus
sion of the report made by the Re-
publican majority committee investi-
eating expenditures in the War De-
partment.
Testimony taken before this
subcommittee" explained Garrett,
"at the outset covers two large vol
umes. Every case presents pure
L. legal question in itself. No man
can pass judgment upon any one
Of these cases without hearing or
reading all of the testimony that has
been taken. Do we object to the
facts coming out? No. Do we oh
iect to discussion? No. What we
90 object to is the opportunity of
differences to be cast out to the coun-
try pedicated alone upon only a part
of the testimony that has been taken
Eight business firms of this country
are mentioned by name in the report
filed by the majority of the commit
tee and it is followed with the state
n emit that the settlement of these
claims in some of these cases without
specifying, seem to have been OBJ
viously tainted with fraud In
what respect are they tainted with
fraud, and whose fraud? Fraud up
on the part of the negotiators of the
Government or fraud upon the part
of the firms mentioned? l submit
that it is an injustice of the gravest
character for a great committee of
this house to bring before this body
il an official report allegations at
tacking the integrity of business
firms without specifying the firm
they would attack or the employees or
representatives of the Government
whom they would dare charge, have
been guilty of fraud"
After an extensive discussion of the
report. Mr.. Garrett accused the Re-
publicans of conducting the entire
Investigation not to attack the Off
GERS in France, but merely to criti-
else the President of the United
States and Secretary of War.
"Criticise the President of the
United States? Why, that is char
ecteristic," exclaimed Mr.. Garrett.
"Did it ever occur to you that since
the Republican party came INTO eX-
istence there have been five Demo-
cratic Presidents elected by the
United States?
Zone Of them the Republicans
themselves nominated and elected
as Vice-President( Andrew Johnson)
and he became President by reason
Gf the death of the great Lincoln,
and they impeached and sought to
Gust him from office. The next one
,Tildden), who was elected by the
people, they stole it from him. The
other three they have slandered
while living and traducing while
dead.
eve had an instance of that few
months ago when an effort was made
t. set aside a little plot of ground
upon which to erect monument to
President Buchanan.
"Criticising the President Of the !