The Missouri herald., 1922-05-12


fighting plane reached the front before
the war was terminated.
do not say this to criticize the Ad-
ministration. Mistakes were inevit-
able, but the singular thing Is, that
for making this investigation and dis
closing these lamentable conditions,
the committee was denounced.
come now to a measure which I
opposed:
PRESS CENSORSHIP.
President Wilson insisted upon a
law being passed which would au-
| thorize him to appoint press censor.
The proposition passed the House Of
Representatives by large majority.
Against this restriction upon the lib
erty Of the press contended with all
my might. held then and hold now
that a free press is essential to the
liberties Of the people; that the people
Of the United States were waging and
supporting the war and that they were
entitled to know the truth.
Had the bill passed and taken the
course of other war legislation, we
might have had press censor until
peace was finally declared.
| / may have been wrong In refusing
to "throttle" the press, but 80 long as
live I will never cast a vote which
will deny to the people the right of
peaceable assemblage and the right to
know through an untrammeled press
the condition Of the world In which
they live.
| I am reminded at this point that
there are certain gentlemen, some of
them aspirants for Office, who have
often declared that they endorsed and
supported President Wilson in every
thing he ever did or suggested.
Such man must stand before the
bar Of public opinion convicted by his
own admission Of willingness to i'm.
pair right without which no people
can be free.
THE WAR CABINET BILL.
While I opposed the President In
his demand for press censor, i gave
him support in one of the most event.
full and crucial hours Of his career.
The war had progressed for some
time. There had been many mistakes
many failures, much waste Of money
This was inevitable under the circum
stances, but 1t produced tremendous
discomfort in Congress and for time
in the country.
Under these circumstances, bill
really conceived by Senator Weeks
but introduced by Senator Hitchcock
was brought forward.
It proposed to appoint joint com
mittee Of Congress to supervise all o.
the expenditures Of the war.
The President denounced 1t as al
attempt to take the conduct of th'
war out of his hands and to deprive
him Of his constitutional rights.
The bill, apparently, had the back
ing of nearly all the Republicans
1t also was supported by consider
full Democrats.
If the bill had passed, the Presi
dent would have been shorn Of larg
part of his power.
I took the floor against this meas
ure. I will not say that made goo,
speech but made the best Of whicl
was capable.
1 believed the bill to be unconstitu
tional and so declared. l believed
to be unwise and unfair to the Presi
| ueQC anu So OecldTeQ.
I will not be egotistical enough t
say that my speech produced the re
suit. but the fact is, no one challenges
me In debate and the bill was "killed.
If had been an enemy of the Presi
dent, If had desired to humiliate O
cripple him, this was the opportunit
to have struck deadly blow.
Mr.. HOOVER AND FARM PRICE
REGULATION.
I have been bitterly criticized TO
opposing Mr.. Hoover.
Whatever the view of others may b
am certainly deserving Of no crit
posing Mr.. Hoover and his methods.
Let me tell you that story:
Mr.. Hoover left the United State
when he was % years Of age. He too
!. employment by British companies. II
remained absent from this country 70
% years. He had lived no part O
the last % years Of his life In tn
United States, except that he had OK
casionally made flying visits to thi
country. He had never cast vote i
: the United States, and has not up t
this day. He was engaged in organ
izing foreign syndicates. He had hi
house and holdings in London. Sui
, stantially all of his interests were wit
foreign corporations. He had attaine
some reputation in Transporting foo
into Belgium.
I did not believe that a man 8
situated should be placed in contrC
of the productive energies of America
;! 1t was proposed to give him the al
thority to license and control, anon
other business institutions, millerl
grain exchanges, companies engaged
the foreign shipment of grains an
farm products, stockyards and pacl
! ing houses.
The power to license and take ava
, license is the power of life and deaf
over a business institution. / wa
certain that Mr.. Hoover would exercis
this power In order to force down th
, prices, particularly of wheat and {
other cereals raised largely In th
| State of Missouri