Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-24

ltls SCSolSiS Va
congress may have the information
they possess, He says:
very few people know that the
secretary Of the treasury at this
moment is privileged or required to
ppear before the house OF repre-
sentatives-that statute is n OF
the oldest in the history of the gov
crnment, it goes back to its four1-
dation. Alexander Hamilton did
so appear, and the reason why he
submitted his great report OF 1890
in writing rather than by word OF
mouth, is due 10 the fact that the
array of facts and figures was SO
complicated that it was felt they
could not be understood by the
house unless they had them in writ
ten form.
Thomas Jefferson, the secretary
of state, appeared before the SEN
ate; General Knox, the secretary OF
war, in rather a w~ell-kno"n IN
stance appeared before the senate
in with the president of
the United States, and then the Gus
tom fell into what Mr. Cleveland
called 'desooetude'-that has been
said to be due to the fact that Mr..
Iefferson's pride in his power OF
pen was so great that he preferred
to communicate his views IN writ
ing to appearing before them by the
spoken word.
However that may be, the mat
ter never was revived for more than
half a century. At the end OF the
Civil war it was brought forward
in the house of representatives by
Mr.. Pendleton Of Ohio. He was
very warmly supported by Mr.
Blaine of Maine and Mr.. Garfield
Of Ohio. but nothing happened.
Fifteen years later, when Mr..
Pendleton was in the senate, he
brought forward the matter again,
and there is on the files OF the sen
ate a most brilliant and convincing
report on the subject. which | wish
this budget committee might think
it worth while to reprint and elf
culate widely for the instruction OF
the people Of the United States.
1t is a very brief document, not
over four or five printed pages.
and 1t contains what has seemed
to me always. a most convincing
constitutional argument and a con-
vincing practical argument on this
subject. 1t reports a bill OF two
short sections which would accom-
plish it. 1t reports a proposed rule
to be adopted by each house that
would make the act effective. and
that report is signed by as brilliant
and authoritative a group OF sena-
tors as has been in Washington IN
many a long day. 1t is signed by
four republicans and four demo-
Gratis, which deprives it at once OF
any partisan reference or character.
The republican s~ignatories are Mr..
Allison of Iowa. Mr.. Blaine OF
Maine, Mr.. Ingalls, of Kansas and
Mr.. Platt of Connecticut-four OF
- L. ,claS ard r1ce3y11
senators since the Civil war. The
democratic signatories are MIR. Vor-
bees of Indiana, Mr.. Pendleton of
Ohio. Mr.. Butler of South Carolina
and Mr.. Farley of California, GER
tainly three of whom were well and
very f~avorably known as legislators
of Importance and authority.
IF we could bring the spenders
and the planners of spending face
to face with those who are to vote
the funds which they desire, not
merely in what is almost a private
hearing or conference in a commit
tee room, but where those who are
irving to save the public money
would have the benefit of an en-
lightened public opinion, which
from the press would be getting
facts, we would, in my Judgment
60 very far towards Strengthening
the hold of the committee of appro.
priations under the spending de
partments and preventing those
little forays and raids for special
or sectional. or group. or sentlmen'
tai purposes to which Mr.. Nader
has referred"
It might also prevent a lot OF
Investigations. At the present
time, someone hands a senator OF
representative a newspaper clip
Sing charging some sca1fal agains'
ypme department. He'esas 1t reae
and it is published all over tn
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