Evening star., 1927-04-13

| Continued from First Page)
the papers run it in large type at
the head Of the printed page, and the
character of the man against whom
the charge is leveled is injured-it
may he blackened. The investigation
may prove there was no foundation
| in it, but the mud sticks to him, and
the truth never catches up with the
| falsehood That is what l do not
| like.
Wants Nothing Concealed.
I stated then that have the fullest
| sympathy with the desire to prevent
corruption, politically as well as other
wise; and i have no sympathy what
| ever with any effort to conceal any
| thing that is wrong in public life or
| elsewhere, but l believe that investi-
CATION should be made in orderly fash
| ion by a quorum of a properly recOg-
nized committee, and that if prosecu-
! tion is necessary, it be done in judicial
| fashion.
| After consideration I am of the
same opinion that the Investigations
should be made by the regularly con-
| stituted standing committee of the
! Senate. and that no committee should
| be clothed with carte blanche author
| ity to rove at WILL and conclude that
not being in accord with the views
recently expressed of the majority
| of the committee, I could render no
| public service and should decline to
serve on it. and have written the Vice
President. thanking him for the desig
nation and giving reasons for my dec.
! lihation.
Upon reaching home last Satur-
day / received Vice President Dawes
telegram advising me of my appoint
ment. I also had a letter from SEN
ator Curtis, our floor leader. suggest
ing that l accept. These demanded
careful thought.
Heretofore select committees of
either Senate or House created for
service during n Congress have
ceased to exist at the conclusion of
the Congress. AS has been the Gus
tom in like circumstances, Senator
| Reed of Missouri on February II,
| 1927. introduced s. Res. 364 to con
tinue the force Of the investigating
| committee during the interim between
| the Sixty ninth Congress and the
Seventeen Congress and thereafter
| until the 30th day Of December. 1927
Believes Committee Dead.
The resolution was not referred to
| the committee to audit and control
| the contingent expenses of the SEN
ate, of which / am IL member, as
| the former resolution had been, be-
ceause this resolution did not call for
an appropriation, the purpose being,
| If the resolution were adopted, to use
the funds remaining available under
authority of the previous resolutions.
The resolution was considered on
the floor and ordered to the calendar.
but did not reach u vote.
AS member of the committee
to audit and control the contingent
expenses of the Senate. | have taken
the position that there is no authority
| for that committee to approve ex-
| pendtures of the special investigating
committee.
Whether the committee now exists
| is matter of difference of opinion
10 be settled finally by the Supreme.
Court. It would be inconsistent for
me TO accept service as a member of
this committee. l have withheld ap-
proVal of vouchers TO meet expenses
of such committee at a time when [
have felt the committee had no
authority"
Senator Fess has notified the Vice
President of his decination of the an
pointment TO the committee. He said.
too, In declining to serve ne had acted
against the advice of Senator Curtis
of Kansas, the Republican leader.
Senator Fess feels however, that if
he had accepted appointments, in view
of his previously expressed views, he
would have stultified himself.
Calls Dawes Wrong.
In his formal statement he did not
go into detail regarding his opinion
that the Reed committee ceased to ey.
list with the close of the Sixty-ninth
Congress. He said later, however.
that he considered the Vice President
had been wrong in his application of
the decision Of the Supreme Court in
the Nal Daugherty case to the Reed
committee.
The Senate, Senator Fess said. had
specifically authorized the committee
dealing with Daugherty to continue
It's work. This had not been done in
connection with the Reed committee.
AS member OF the committee on
audit and control of the contingent
fund of the Senate, Senator Fess said.
ne had voted for a resolution author.
izinG the Daugherty committee to go
ahead with its inquiry. But he had
voted for no such resolution for the
Reed committee.
The differences of opinion among
ReDuhliCans over the Reed COMMITTEES
ana It's continuing power threatens to
cause trouble when the Senate recon.
venes next December.