Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-07

facts touching IL.
Criticize Siemp
"Rascom Slemp is the man who was
amounted by the president after it was
shown IN the other house that he ac-
cepted money from applicants for APP
pointment as postmasters. and ne SAID
he turned 1t over to the Republican
national committee to help pay the de-
felt. Basaom is the man who went TO
Florida, and who doken times in Flor
ida. as shown by the testimony. ate
with Ned Mclean. and Fall was pres
ent practically every time" =.
81 want to suggest to the senator,
interrupted Senator Dill. Democrat.
washington. "if it would not be inter-
esting for the president to inform the
country why he asked Mr.. Mclean 10
ask Mr.. Slemp, the presidents private
secretary, instead of asking Mr.. Slemp
directly. What is the relationship that
Mr.. Mclean should be the go-between
between the president and his own prf-
yate secretary!
A6yerting later to Senator Harrison 5
address, Senator Lodge declared the
telegram was "reahy perfectly tri'iai
one and a perfectly. explicapie one.
He said the president had wanted 10
consult Mr.. Prescott. who was chaii
man of the Republican committee u
the District of Columbia. in regard TO
district matters. and was lnlorHieo
thct Mr. Prescott was away.
LODGES Explanation
"The matter required prompt atten-
ton" Senator Lodge said. land the
president wished to find out who was
here who could take Mr.. Prescott
place and give him the information oe-
sired. He knew that Mr.. Slemp would
know. Mr.. Slemp was away in tlH :
ida. The president did not know where
he was. He had been moving about
and the president did not have his ex-
act address :.
TT was in the evening. at hail
mast nine, to be exact, and the preSl-
dents other secretary had gone. ne
did not know whether Mr.. Slemp nau
left Florida or not He knew tnat
Mr.. Mclean would know where Mr.
Slemp was because he had been with
him in Florida. The president there
fore telegraphed to Mr.. Mclean in
order to reach Mr. Slemp for the pur-
nose of getting from him the name
of the man he desired to see in
WASHINGTON. That's the whole story
of the telegram"
Deploring attacks upon the presi-
dent. Senator Lodge recalled that the
late Senator Tillman. Democrat.
South Carolina, had once assalied
President. Cleveland stated that ne
then had protested privately 10 SEN
ators on the Democratic side.
II think the president of the Unit,
ed States ought not to be attacked
in this body" Senator Lodge contin-
ued. Il think he is entitled TO the 1uii
respect of the senate in debate ana
of all senators. He is the head Vi
the government.
81 have no sympathy. VIII frankly
confess, with the kind of debate 10
which the country has been treated
in the last six weeks. / am thorough
" in favor of investigating wherever
there is good reason to believe that
wrong has been done or that corrup-
ton has existed. We have commit
tees appointed for that purpose. But
we have followed the plan here or dis
cussing all the testimony and every
newspaper rumor in addition. day AT
ter day, and with the character or
that debate l am utterly out OF sym
pathy, l thingk it is lowering 10 the
character of the senate to have It's
time taken hour after hour in villif1-
cation of all. sorts of men whether
c,iilty or innocent. and exchanges OF
personal vituperation on the floor OF
the senate among senators themsel-
YES.
81 think 1t is lowering the entire
character of this body in the OPINION
os the people of the United stat $.
therefore l have no sympathy, IN TACT
| have great dislike, for any such at
tack as has been made here today or
any such imputations as nave peen
off, limited
States at the present time. wish lor
my own part to make ans protest
against it. Not one thing has been
discovered = any kind that reflects
upon the president of the United
States.
IT have known the present presl-
dent of the United States for many
wears. / know him we'll both In prl-
vate and in public life. His private
life, as his public life. has been
without spot or blemish. The pres
ent scandal of corruption of conduct
in office has never come near him.
"He came into his present great
office under the most trying ctrcum-
stance which can beset a president
when he. goes into the White House,
and that is by the death of his pre-
deccssor. He found himself OF course
with cabinet that was not or his
selection. He found himself with n
number of questions. political ques-
tions and all sorts of questions re-
lating to this great government which
were not his policies-that is, they
We're not his personal policies-and
with which he had nothing officially
to do. The recent charges that have
been made and investigations that
have been held have surrounded him
with all sort of difficulties and try
ing conditions.
Il think he has borne himself well,
very well. I do not see how any
man could bear himself better. You
may be assured that he will be as
prompt to punish misdoing in the
public service as any man who now
listens to me in this senate. He az
ways has done 1t. He did it as gov
ernor of Massachusetts. He will do
it as president of the United States.
He has done nothing to justify per-
sonal attack of any Kind He is en-
titled to all the respect that the con-
gress can give him.
He should be lifted above the sort
of discussion that has been running
through the Senate here day after day.
based on gatherings of the cutters, on
the whispers of the corridors. on what
is picked up from the newspapers. on
every sort of rumor or calumy or false
story. Many of them have been expos
ed that have come here.
II think it is little short OF an out
rage to bring the presidents name in
here and treat him as he has been
treated today in a place where he can
not speak for himself, where he has
to trust to the words OF others. and
where he is unable to make his own
voice heard among those who assail
him. He alone knows all the facts in
relation to everything that concerns