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JUL.T 21, Ull
The Commoner.
11
WASHINGTON NEWS
Representative A. O. Stanley,
chairman of the steel probe com
mittee, returned to Washington after
a flying visit to Pittsburg, where it is
said he gained valuable Information
to be used In the investigation by
Mr. Stanley's committee.
The Cummins amendment to ad
mit Canadian flour and cereal pro
ducts to the United States free of
duty under the reciprocity agree
ment was defeated by the senate "14
to 52. The other Cummins amend
ments were also badly defeated.
clared in the edifice, and none may
enter or leave without passing be
fore a heavy guard."
Despite denials that have been
made that government officials In
tend to permit the "Guggenheim in
terests to control Alaskan transpor
tation through a monopoly on the
water front of Controller Bay, con
gress is determined to go ahead with
its investigation.
Simmons of North Carolina on Rack
Congressional inquiry as to the
mysterious letter said to involve
President Taft and his brother In
the granting of lands at Controller
Bay, Alaska, to the Guggenheim in
terests, resulted in the failure to
find such a letter.
A special dispatch to the Rich
mond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, says:
"Former Judge Alton B. Parker, of
New York, who has been in Wash
ington in consultation with Presi
dent Gompers, of the American
Federation of Labor, relative to the
contempt proceedings against the
federation officials, conferred at the
capitol with many of the democratic
leaders in both houses of congress.
There were numerous exchanges of
views regarding the political situa
tion, and fairly general expression of
hope from the democratic standpoint.
'Experience has made us cautious in
the matter of prediction,' said Mr.
Parker, 'but the outlook certainly is
better than usual.' Some of the demo
cratic congressmen told Mr. Parker
th'at 'they would' not be disappointed
should they see the democratic ticket
headed with his iiamo, as in 1904.
Judge Parker said the Gompers case
would again come up in the district
supreme court July 17, but refused
to comment on the possible outcome."
Whether congress will adjourn
after the senate has yoted on reci
procity, the wool bill and the far
mers' free list bill or must remain In
session until fall is to bo decided by
a caucus of the houso democrats.
' A special dispatch to the Louis
ville Courier-Journal, says: "Insur
gent republicans predict that Cana
dian reciprocity will constitute the
sole tariff legislation enacted by the
extra session of congress, and that
adjournment will take place about
August 1. Speaker Clark and house
leaders will insist upon action on
other taTiff measures, and the
speaker predicts congress will not
adjourn before September 1.
An Associated Press report says:
"A .characterization of the con
federacy as an 'infamous cause' by
Senator Ileyburn, Idaho, brought from
Senator Williams of Mississippi a bit
ter rebuke in the senate. 'But for
the parliamentary rules that refrain
me,' declared Mr. Williams, 'I would
have a few words to say about the
kind of human being in whose heart
such thoughts can exist.' "
Doctor Harvey W. Wiley, chief
of the bureau of chemistry of the
department of agriculture has been
urged by Attorney-General Wicker
sham to resign, "for the good of the
service."
Senator Bailey's free list amend
ment to the Canadian reciprocity bill
was defeated In the senate by a
large majority. So evident was the
margin against it that Senator Bailey
did not ask for a roll call.
Fresh from a conference with
President Taft, Chairman Smith, of
the senate territories committee,
gave notice of an amendment to
"eliminate the judiciary recall pro
vision in the Arizona constitution
and said that if the resolution is
adopted as it passed the house it
would be vetoed.
' A special dispatch to the Louis
ville Courier-Journal says: "As a
-result of the theft of the master key
pf the office building of the house of
'" representatives, which opens every
LITTLE LESSONS IN DIRECT
LEGISLATION
If all political power originally re
sides in the electorate, and is derived
from it, it is evident that the depart
ments of government, legislative,
executive and judicial, exist and
operate by virtue of the electoral
franchise exercised by citizen voters,
and are directly responsible to the
electorate for the performance of
their functions. Not only are govern
ment officials directly and indirectly
responsible to their constituencies,
but they are at all times so respon
sible, and their constituencies may
at any time summon them to account
and dischargo them for failure to
perform aright the duties of
their office. The electorate in a
democracy is the "people" and a
government of the people, by the
people, and for the people, Is not a
government by a court, or a caucus,
or a convention, or a congress, but
a government by initiative and refer
endum, that is to say, by direct
legislation. As long ago as 1780,
the men of the Massachusetts town
meeting embodied this principle of
fundamental democracy In their con
stitution. They said, article five:
"All power residing originally in the
people, and being derived from them,
the several magistrates and officers
of government, vested with authority,
whether legislative, executive or
judicial, are their substitutes and
agents, and are at all times account
able to them."
This was seven years before the
session of the so-called "teonstltu
tional convention" at Philadelphia,
the proceedings of which, as re
ported by James Madison, now show
that the members of that body
framed the constitution of the
"more perfect union" in order to
"counteract the tendencies" of a
"turbulent democracy," represented
by Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine,
Thomas Jefferson revolutionists,
who, it must be remembered, were
not in that famous body. George
Hammell, in Twentieth Century
Magazine.
ENTHUSIASM
"How did your act take amateur
night?"
"Great, When I sang the first
verse they yelled 'Fine!' and when
I sang the next they yelled 'imprison-
Tho following is a special dispatch
to the Louisville (Ky.) Courier
Journal:
Washington, July 10 (Special.)
The tariff record of the democratic
party was kept clean in the senate
today at tho expense of Senators
Simmons, of North Carolina, and
Bailey, of Texas. With interroga
tions and reproaches that stung like
whip lashes, Senators Reed, Kern
and Williams cited tho Denver plat
form of 1908 in favor of freo'lum
ber, and forced nn admission from
Senator Simmons that he repudiated
that platform in "deference to tho
sontiment of the lumber Interests in
his own state." Senator Kern did
not leave tho field before bringing
out that Mr. Simmons was a mem
ber of tho resolutions, committee
which, framed the Denver platform,
and had a voice in tho convention
which adopted it unanimously.
Show Up for Simmons
Senator Simmons' ordeal camo at
the end of a speech In which ho sup
ported his amendment to tho reci
procity bill, which is hacked by tho
great majority of democrats in con
gress, and opposed by Bailey, Sim
mons and one or two other demo
crats. Tho senate leaders in putting
Mr. Simmons on the grill, in tho
midst of the desperate fight he is
making for re-election in North Caro
lina, simply exonerated their party
from responsibility for hi3 protec
tionist votes and his present atti
tude on reciprocity, in defiance of the
great bulk of democrats.
Bailey Takes Tfnnri
They had planned to hold a con
ference at which tho differences be
tween the Bailey-Simmons group
and the remainder of tho democrats
would bo fought out, but it was
learned tonight that tho dissenters
declinod to enter the conference.
The only thing to do, therefore, was
to show them up on the. floor, and
this was the net result of the pro
ceedings of today. During his bap
tism of fire Mr. Simmons was sup
ported by Mr. Bailey, who whispered
to him answers for embarrassing
questions and who once or twice
broke in before Simmons could re
tort, and answered the question him
self. Once this maneuver drew a
protest from Senator John Sharp
Williams, who suggested that tho
Texan permit Mr. Simmons to answer
for himself.
Mnko Exposures Boldly
Finding that they had tho expo
sure to make, the democratic leaders
approached their task boldly and
conducted It thoroughly. Mr. Sim
mons showed a great deal of bitter
ness, Indicating that ho considered
his grilling by Senator Reed the re
sult of personal dislike, despite Mr.
Reed's protestations that he merely
wanted to set tho houso of tho
democrats in order. When the de
bate, in which the republicans sat
silent, some smiling, but took no
part, was ended, Bailey and Sim
mons were very angry, while their
colleagues felt simply as would
parents who had been punishing dis
obedient children, and, while spank
ing, had spanked well.
The senate was discussing tho
Cummins and Simmons amendments
to the reciprocity bill, all of which
by agreement were to be voted on
room wherein are storea legismuve a buu6 w z" -" J", r
wcretsT martial law has been dement!' "-Christian Intelligencer.
before adjournment. None had any
chanco of passage. Mr. Simmons had
about completed his speech, and
Senator Clapp, "Insurgent republi
can," was on his feet propared to tako
tho floor when tho North Carolinian
announced ho had not finished. Ho
said ho was representing tho bulk
of tho sentimont in his state.
Heed Interrogates HiiniuonH
Mr. Reed arose and cited a speech
made twenty years ago by Senator
Vance, a noted, North Carolinian, in
which Vance opposed ovory form of
protection. In reply Mr. Simmons
said that if Vance wero in Simmons'
scat today ho would voto as Sim
mons intended to voto. Senator Gore
then handed to Mr. Reed some para
graphs from a speech, including an
attack on Mr. Simmons for his pro
tectionist leanings.
"Whoso speech in that? I insist
on knowing?" cried Mr. Simmons.
Ills upraised fist vibrating and his
voico hoarso with anger.
"Mr. Kitchin, of North Carolina,
made it in tho house," replied Mr.
Reed. After some fencing Mr. Reed .
began ills direct catechism as fol
lows: Reed Tho senator states that ho
Is democratic.
Simmons Yes.
Reed And that ho stands on
democratic platforms. Yet ho says
ho is In favor of a taTiff on lumber.
Simmons Yes; and I would voto
for it. ,
Reed I want to read him tho last
democratic platform adopted by tho
Denver convention.
Kern And unanimously.
Reed Demanding an immediate
repeal of tho tariff on wood pulp,
print paper, lumber, timber and logs.
I should like to ask the senator if
he stands on that platform when ho
says he favors a tariff on lumber.
Explains His Position
Simmons When the democratic
convention, which made that declara
tion adjourned, and went home, on
account of the fact that lumber Is
tho largest singlo interest in my
state, employing tens of thousands
of men, the people of North Carolina
rebelled against that declaration of
tho democratic party to such an ex
tent as to make It manifest to the
chairman of tho democratic execu
tive committee of that state, Mr.
Eller, that wo wero in danger of
losing control of the state as he re
sult of that declaration. To meet
that condition, Mr. Eller prepared
and for the committee issued and
circulated broadcast over North
Carolina a pledge on the part of the
democratic executive committee of
that state that no democratic senator
or representative from that state
would vote, notwithstanding tho na
tional platform declaration to put
lumber on tho free list unless mill
machinery, which enters so largely
Into the cost of manufacturing lum
ber, was also put on tho free list
"If I did not recognize tho
authority of the executive com
mittee of my stato to bind me in
that regard as an honorable man, I
ought to have said so when the cam
paign was on, and when we were
using that pledge to get the votes of
tho lumber people of my state. I
did not do so, neither did any other
representative of my state, but on
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