The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-02-17

Jne annals OF UHe leRlSlltlVe DOules
that have ever existed upon the face
OF the earth, there never has been SC
shameless a resolution adopted; there
never has been so bold a publication
of infamy of those who voted for the
resolution. In the common parlance
OF the law we often speak of a plea in
confession and avoidance, which
means, in plain language, that the
charge made is admitted; but there is
brought in as a defense or excuse a
good and sufficient reason for the do
ing of the act; but this is not plea
of confession and avoidance; it is 9
plea of confession and ratification.
| do not believe that the rank and
file of the Republican party will in
dorse such a resolution when they
learn its import. Indeed there is q
foretaste of their feelings and sym
pathy in the action of the nine Re-
publican Senators who voted against
the seating of Truman H. Newberry
But, Mr.. President, there is not a Sen
ator who voted for this resolution who
did not brand in red letters above and
over and across his political record
the word "dishonor". There is nc
language human tongue can utter OF
can indite that will adequately express
the degradation of that resolution
the self-confessed degradation OF
those who supported it.
wish, Mr.. President, that the New
berry resolution could be printed in
100000 copies and pasted on the
footboard of every bed in America, SO
that every man, woman and child
when they awaken in the morning and
get through saying their usual pray
ers for the rest of creation may in
woke Almighty God to forgive the
men who voted that the acts done by
Newberry were of kind Calculated
to endanger the Republic" and Their
voted to ratify his acts and to seat
him in the United States Senate.
repeat-and | intend often to re.
peat in this body-that it was the
most stupid piece of business that ev.
er disgraced any body of men, wheth.
er they were pirates sailing the seas
under a black flag or dignifed states
men seated in this chamber charged
to protect great country. The gen
tleman sailing under the "Jolly Rog
er" at least had a philosophy and wa.
consistent He said:
We follow still the good old rule,
The very simple plan,
/ That they should take who have thu
power,
And they should keep who can.
He made his victims walk the plank
expecting to also walk the plank whel
he was captured. He did not pretent
to be anything but a pirate; he RAJ
up his skull and crossbone flag, groun
his saber, took to the high seas as
marauder and a criminal.
But here is a distinguished body O
men who solemnly resolve that
thing is wrong, who protest to hig
heaven that their conscience is out
ragged and their souls are narrowed b
the mere thought of what has haI
pened, and who, having thus indulge
in sanctimonious and hypocritical res
itatiOn, proceed to ratify all that wa
done.
II, What miserable, stupid, idiot
thing it was! If they had said, "W
, believe that Mr.. Newberry was cleo
ed and that, without his knowledge {
consent, this money was expende.
therefore he shall stand acquit," the
would have ut least been able to max
some sort of pretense that they wei
deceived by the evidence; if they ha
said that "the money was expende,
but there was no law against it." an
therefore no penalty could be visite
! upon Mr.. Newberry," they would ;
least have been consistent. But the
stand here declaring the thing is il
famous, detrimental to the State, q
insult to the Senate, therefore "
hereby sofemnly ratify and confirl
it."
When you get out your campaig
books, gentlemen on the other side {
the Chamber who supported the New
berry resolution, allow me to sugge!
that you print that resolution on ii
title-page; that you make it the fir,
plank in your political platform
that you repeat it at the top of tt
various pages of the book; and thu
you accompany it with the statemen
"This is a verbal picture of the r,
publican conscience as it exists in tt
Senate in the year 1922" You shoul
add, ave knew the seating of New
, berry was wrong; we knew it VIZ
wicked; we knew it was injurious I
the State; we knew it was an insult
the Senate; therefore we ratified it. ,
Why, Mr.. President, the tongue
, paralyzed in an effort to describe
thing like that. If it was wrong, WI
did you not wipe out the effect of IL
wrong and not adopt it?
You say, "This thing that crawl
and has forked tongue and crookt
teeth, is poison serpent. Therefor
, we will admit it to the family circ
and allow it to wind its folds about Il
bodies of our children"
, You say, This is a dog with Il
rabies. Every time he sinks his FAM
into the flesh they carry with the
T deadly disease. Therefore we will tul
the dog loose on the community"
. You say, "This is a thing blat
! with infamy. Therefore we W
|, spread it as mantle over the Sena
! Chamber"
You say, "This is a deadly leprot
- that, introduced into the body polit;
!, will destroy the virtue of the natio
), Therefore we will introduce it in
the Senate"
You say, "This office was sold
6 money. Therefore he who bought
. shall be confirmed in his title"