Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-05-17
Fess Brands .Borah False To Own
Party.

A bitter duel of words between Senator
Simeon 0. Fess, of Ohio. Republican whip
in the Senate. and Senator William E.
borah, the transient leader of the Senate
insurgents, was enacted Friday as an after
math of the Presidents defeat the day
befo upon the debenture plan of farm
relief.
This duel. moreover. emphasizes the Re-
publican split in the upper house.
The issue between the party regulars
and the insurgents was forced upon public
notice by Senator Tess, who in a letter to
an Ohio friend, given out for publication,
first scOrched the party "bolters" as a
group and then sssailed Senator Borah as
pseudo Republican" who had brought
all the trouble upon the Administration by
insisting upon an extra session Of Congress.
1t took Mr.. Borah only about an hour to
issue an equally scorching rejoinder.
This seems to forecast not only sharp
schism between the new leader of the
insurg nts and the President upon farm
relei, Out upon the tarlH
In his letter Mr.. Tess wrote:
las you are aware, foresaw this dan
ger of the special session, and urged. with
all my influence. against 1t. The President
had been led. through Senator Borah and
other pseudO-R Republicans. to promise
special session upon the representation
that such promise would bring these Re-
publicans to the Presidents program.
THE President made the statement. but
left the door open by saying that unless
Congress in the short session passed a relief
measure he would call Congress into spe-
cial session. Borah took the lead against
anything being done In the short session
Borah and his crowd argued that 1t would
not be fair to Hoover. in whose success he
seemed to be greatly interested. The Demo-
Gratis were quite willing to allow this
insurgent program to proceed.
Notwithstanding the fact that the chair
man Of the Agricultural Committee used
the utmost of his influence to get consid-
Grafton Of the bill in the short session. he
got nowhere in the face Of this opposition.
The special session was called. The
bill was introduced. both in the House and
Senate, and numbered Il in each case.
The House bill was along the line of our
platform and the utterances Of the Presi-
dent in the campaign The Senate bill did
not vary from that line except 10 Section
10, the debenture feature, which was forced
upon the committee by the coalition of
Democrats and insurgents. This coalition
was so strong that one Democratic mem
Der of the committee, who voted against
the debenture. yielded to the pressure of
his party, reversed his position. and paired
for the debenture.
Senator BOrah, the one person respOn-
sible for the special session. refused to 60
along with the President and supported
the debenture, against which the President
had written letter to the chairman of
the committee. Senator Nye another who
had sought the Presidents promise for
special session. went against the President.
Senator BroOkhart. who had done such
valiant service for the President in the
campaign. early broke away from the Presi-
dent and became his most bitter critic on
the floor Of the Senate.
while the debenture will not be in the
law when it reaches the President. the
result Of the Senate's vote is unfortunate.
Ii means ultimately complete coalition
between the Democrats and insurgents and
a consequent aTresting of the Administra-
tons policies. 1t also means the first break
|
succeeded by many that will be more dis
astrous TO the Administration. II also
means that we are in the session for all
summer. if not for all year.
From the beginning have seen the
danger to the country of the special SEES
sion. While the reaction of the Democratic
press, especially in the East. is very bitter
against the Democratic plan or against
| forming a coalition with the insurgents.
am convinced that the Democrats are chiefly
relying upon the issue for coming cOntes
upon their ability. by the aid Of the insur
gents. to nullify much that the Admins
tratiOn has hoped to achieve. Time Onl!
will disclose the facts.
REPLY Or BoRAH.
Senator BOrah's reply follows:
Personal controversies are exceedingl,
distasteful to me and | seek Away,
to avoid them. But since Mr.. Tess gave
out his letter and is the whip of the Sen
ate. presume ought not to remain silent
II have for three yuars been an advo-
cate of debenture as the most immediate
' and certain method of relieving the farmer
i engaged in producing commodities Of
which we have a surplus from his present
distress. Last year voted for the deben-
| tuio' L. the'eioic, Noteu yoSto'uay aSc"'u
ing to my long settled convictions.
wouldn't know how TO vote otherwise.
In the support which l sincerely gave
Mr.. Hoover did not get the idea that
was to be deprived ever afterward OF Vot
ing upon public measures IN accordance
with my own views am sure that Mr.
Hoover did not assume for a moment thai
by my support was changing my vlew'
upon public questions or surrenderlne thu
right TO form them. Only base class o.
intellectual slaves would entertain Or pro-
muleate such an idea.
There have been questions about which
we have differed ever since we have boil
been in public life.
There will undoubtedly be Questions if
the future upon which we shall differ
There is no dlfficu ty about such natter
nor any occasion for trouble or misunder
standing among men. among gentlemen
| self-reaDpct or intellectual inte1TitV. or O