Daily Kennebec journal., 1924-04-09
Pittman Makes
Reply to Portland
Speech Of Pepper

can people have not lost confidence
in their government, but in the ad-
ministration OF the government" "
Senator Pittman. Democrat, Nevada,
declared today in q speech replying
to the Portland. Me. address of
Senator Pepper. Republican. Penn
sylvania.
"The confidence of the public in
our government will never be shak-
en-" he added. until 1t is demon
strated that an impotent and cor
itself in power against the Will of
the majority of the citizens"
Senator Pittman took exception to
charges that the Republican eXecu-
tive program had been blocked be-
cause that party was in the minority
In congress.
1.-THE senate is made up of 81 Re-
publicans. 43 Democrats and nom
partisan leaguers who were former
ly Republican" the Nevada senator
said. ut cannot then be the DEM
ocrats who deprived the administra-
ton of necessary votes. The ma
jority party's impotency is due to a
revolt of progressive Republicans
it is but a repetition of the break
down that occurred In 1910 and
1912. when Roosevelt led the re-
volt" u
Senator Pittman summed up Sen
ator Peppers speech as follows:
80 this is what we must under
stand as the plan for the Republican
presidential campaign as laid down
by the spokesman for the president
in the Keynote speech in Maine:
Throw a smoke screen around the
incompetency and corruption OF the
present administration: talk of the
past and the future, but avoid discus
sion of the acts of the present ad-
ministration; condemn and ridicule
the Investigations; stimulate through
prona panda fear for the safety or
the government: conceal President
Coolidge's efforts to retain DENLY
and Daugherty in office; and blame
all mistakes and inaction Of the ad-
ministration on the party's former
leader, the dead president
What a program and what pan
Of campaign to be given to a party
that was once led by Lincoln and TO
whom they now appeal for prestige"
Senator Pepper objected to the
designation 'keynote speech" being
applied to his address, declaring
President Coolidge had not been ad-
vised of his appearance there or or
the nature Of the remarks he intend
ed to make. :.
senator Pittman said he viewed 1t
as astounding that party leaoer OIL
Senator Peppers standing would en-
gage to make a speech at the opening
of national campaign oe1ore an as
scmblag &c such as the state convention
q, Maine without comforting with MS
ch,ef-"the one man in the whole coun-
try most concerned in is eject.
"I don't think" he said, "the sena-
TOR from Pennsylvania had intended
denying 1t was the keynote speech un,
IN after he had arrived in the senate;
The Portland speech also was criti-
c,,ad nv senator Walsh. Democrat
Montana. who said he had recently re-
.cAived many letter bearing upon the
idea Of the inquiries expressed py Sen-
ator Pepper. .r.
NOUS and are frequently very aous-
ive.r Senator Walsh said. one re-
ceived today was particularly 81
They are all in the same tehor. ua.
the country is weary OF tnese 'nVeS
'' :srhs general attitude Of the VII,
49,. - that expressed in this editorial
tsa,,, the Rocky Mountain News
,.s,;ch A. will be recalled. Is owned
~ MY yohn C. Shaffer, who the OIL com n
u,,.te. ~ t caught red handed with x9o.-
e ,9oo Of blood money taken from Tea
pa = fer % reading the editorial refer.
- % to senator Walsh offered an
ssu Ise..r,., taking the opposite view
sshsch % had appeared in q eor Bos,or
nw.naner. Tho latter. senator
Walsh said, ''more accuratesy ,srd n
nrsssed the view OK New 1s'1N
the country"