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The Commoner.
Senator Bailey's Farewell Speech
Foifowlnir uro AoBoclatod Proas dlBpatchcs:
Austin, Tex., Jan. Z.-Govornor Co qu tt an
nounced tonight that ho has boon officially ad
vised that tho resignation of Unltod States Sona
ta,, nniinv win hn unwonted within tho noxt few
lilnv. Tin mild ho WOlll(l appoint It. M. John-
Shon. editor of tho HoiiBton Post, to comploto
P' .Senator Bailey's unexpired term.
I Washington, Jan. 2.Scnnlor Josepn w.
Bailey of Texan, long one of the picturemiuu
figures und striking speakers of tho Unltod
aii ..,.., .lfiiivnrnfi todiiv before crowded
& floor und gallorlos, his final speech as a member
(f of that body. Within a day or two hU ; resigna
Sfin will bo laid boforo tho sonato and com-
i'municalod to Governor Coluultt of loxaB, ins
'expectation bolng that it. m. .101 nsun ui u n
ton will bo named to 1111 out his term, which
would end March 4.
annntni iinllov'H HiiGoch was an attack upon
tho principles of tho initiative and referendum
MB institutions that would, if adopted, bring
;. about tho ovorthrow of tho presont system ot
iAmorican government. no uociaruu moy
ioriginatod in tho desiro of politicians to escape
Itho'iresponsibillty for action on such potty qucs
rtlons ftB tho location of state capitals and tho
wnnninnt of prohibition fights. As institutions
of 'government ho doclarcd that tho schemes for
Kdlrect legislation by tuo peopio wouiu uonvurt
Vthb United States from a republic to a democ
racy and would givo its control into tno nanus
of "tho unskilled, tho ldlo and tho vicious."
An attack unon William R. Hearst in tho
Icourso of his spooch In which he characterized
Mr. Hearst as "a mlsoraDio dog," wno naa
"hounded him," brought Sonator Ashurst of
"Arizona to his foot. Ho attempted to answer
"this nhase of Mr. Balloy's attack upon radical
JiriiowonanorB and magazines but was stopped by
fe.th Toxas sonator with tho remark that "ho
reould mako that reply outside."
K Lator Mr. Ashurst took tho floor in his own
fright and in tho course of his dofehso of tho
jUystom of.dlroct govornmont paid a tribute to
Mr, Hoarst as a loyal American citizen.
'" Gallorlos woro crowded to tholr utmost capa
city and long linos of people waited in tho cor
ridors for an opportunity to hoar tno Texan's
farewell address to tho senate. To tho membor-
i thlp of tho sonato waB added nearly sovonty-flvo
xnombors of tho house, who nuea tno uencnes
and linod tho walls along tho floor of tho cham
ber. Senator Bailey spoke for four hours.
.Throughout that tlmo ho received tho closest
attention from mombors and spectators. As ho
'innnliwlnl n wnvr nt nnnlininn Bwnnt fhrnmrli tho
r gallorlos, bringing a sharp reprimand from Sona-
-. tor Galllngor, tho presiding olllcor.
PreBldont-oloct Wilson, altbough quoted liber
ally by Sonator JBailoy In dofenso of his declara-
ktion that direct legislation is not In accord with
i-principloB of American government, received
konly commendation from the Texas sonator.
"If tho man wo havo elected president of tho
CUnited Statos glvos tho country a sano and
BatlBfactory administration," ho declared, "tho
;(ropublican party will nover nominate another
Mcaudidato for tho presidency."
h ''Why Bhould you?" ho Continued, advancing
'toward tho republican side of tho chamber.
h"You did not carry but two states this year and
Fthose two of tho smallest. Tho contest four
fyoars from now will be between us and tho
VRoosovoltlans. Ho (Roosevelt) will take some
iinoro, but, thank God, they will be tho kind wo
(can afford to loso. Our conflict is with Roose
velt. If our president believes ho can take tho
radical vote away from Roosovolt ho is mis
taken."
,- Sonator Balloy declared that in states where
constitutional amendments had been submitted
$to tno peopio but a small proportion of the citi
zens voted upon thorn. In Wisconsin, ho said,
Jit ran as low as from 24 to 36 nor cent. In
I Oregon, ho declared, on a question involving
the futuro of tho state's university, in which
tho public had become keenly interested, but
Wa'n i, l,j i. ii.. ..
ou per uout uuu vuiuu upon mo question.
f ,"Tho only man who can do that, and ho has
Lnot succeeded well, 1b Eugeno V. Dobs. Ho is
,the only man who can out-Roosevelt in attract
ine.tho radical vote. What tho dnmnp.rntin rmrfxr
ST 'nmtaAa la nrtf thn vnillnnl hnf 1 J,.... n. ,,
Much of Senator Balloy's speech was devotnd
; to-excerpts and quotations from tho writings of
an men wuo organizoa ana administered the
early years of tho American government and of
students who had in later years described tho
effect of direct legislation upon its principles.
From tho former ho drew what ho said was un
quostlonablo proof that tho United States began
as a representative government and not a de
mocracy of direct legislation. From the latter,
among whom was Governor Wilson, ho Quoted
to show that tho opinion of students was that
tho peopio wore not so well qualified, to legislate
as wero seasoned men selected by them who
framed tholr legislation in deliberative assembly.
At ono point Senator Bailey produced a book
of 208 pages which ho said represented the
thirty-two questions submitted to the direct
voto of tho peopio of Oregon in ono year.
"Now, honor bright," ho said, "how many
citizens do you suppose there are who studied
those questions? How many understood them
when thoy did study them? I do not mean to
reflect on tho intelligence of tho peopio when
I say they could not understand them with the
opportunity they were given to study them. I
could not do it myself."
Ho declared that in Switzerland tho people
had become disgusted with tho constant neces
sity of voting on questions of government and
had gradually refused to go to tho polls. A com
pulsory voting law, ho said, had not succeeded
and they had finally determined to pay voters.
"Mako 'em vote, and if they won't pay 'em
to vote, is the principle suggested," said Sonator
Bailey.
Senator Ashurst, answering Senator -Bailey,
declared that tho per centage of people who
votod- on public questions in the states where
direct legislation was attempted, was fully as
groat as the percentage of United States sena
tors, "sworn and paid to voto on legislation,"
who voted on tho majority of tho subjects be
fore tho senate. Senator Ashurst in his defense
of Mr. Hearst, declared that his name was as
sociated with tho name of many projects to pro
mote happiness of the people and the perpetuity
of American institutions and declared that he
was a firm friend, a loving husband and a faith
ful father.
"More than that I need not say; less than
that I could not say," ho added.
Senator Bailey's address dealt principally with
tho prlnclplo of the initiative and referendum,
and he directed his words toward his resolution
declaring that such a system of direct legisla
tion as tho initiative and referendum would
establish is in conflict with the principle on
which tho government is founded.
"During my service of more than twenty
years in the two houses of congress," said
Senator Bailey, "I have never delivered an ad
dress in either of thorn intended more for tho
country at largo than for the body itself, and
I would not now depart from that rule, except
for the extraordinary situation in which we
find ourselves with respect to these questions.'-'
Senator Bailey declared the advocates of this
"extraordinary form of government" had con
ducted a systematic campaign for years in be
half of their views. Ho desired, he said, to
present arguments against such a system of
direct legislation.
"Tho wise and patriotic statesmen who dedi
cated this republic to liberty and independence,"
declared Senator Bailey, "rejected a direct de
mocracy in which tho peopio would rule without
the intervention of representatives and adopted
representative democracy."
Tho senator quoted from statesmen who
participated in the formation of the constitu
tion and the organization of the government to
show that they had never intended that the re
publican form of government should give wav
to direct legislation by the peopio, such as the
initiative and referendum would provide
Senator Bailey's address included long e-
?roi? thG Wr!ng,8 0f Alexaner Hamilton.
Hfnfl L? r,ei;ublIc democracy," he said, and
cited again opinions of men identified with his
tory to prove that a "representative democracy"
was hotter than a true democracy muLxay
Senator Bailey said he would not quote from
lawyers, because they "do not seem to be in hieh
favor now with those who wish to work this
change in tho government."
"I never had a client who was my master in
any manner," ho declared at one potat Mp
Bailey quoted from the words of PrVniw'
elect Wilson I am a domoBald?eato;
Bailey, "and though I did not favor his selec
on. no man living hopes more for the success
of his administration than I do " access
Ho quoted from Governor Wilson's works to
VOLUME 13, NUMBER--1
the effect that the views men expressed on the
stump were often tempered by the "common
counsel" they enjoy when they finally come into
control of the government."
Senator Bailey declared no more thorough
presentation of the character of representative
government had been made than that of Gover
nor Wilson's book. Mr. Bailey said the advo
cates of tho direct form of government declared
they were not working for the overthrow of this
government.
"They are mistaken," he said, "in the belief
that they cart establish a direct form of govern
ment without overthrowing the whole structure
of representative government.
"It has come to a choice between the side led
by the mighty spirits of another day and the
side led by the noisy demonstrators of today."
Attacking journals and papers, Mr. Bailey
picked up a magazine published by William R.
Hearst.
"A moral pervert, a political degenerate, a .
physical coward," shouted the senator, refer
ring to Mr. Hearst.
Mr. Ashurst of Arizona jumped to his feet.
"Mr. President, I would be false to friend
ship," he began.
"If you want to reply to that, you can do so '
outside," interrupted Mr. Bailey heatedly.
"Very well, I'll do so," retorted Mr. Ashurst,
sitting down.
Mr. Bailey quoted one of the letters published -by'
Mr. Hearst, purporting to have, been written :
by Mr. Bailey- from the senate, February 26,
1900.
"I did not even become -a member of the senate
until March 4, 1901," said Mr. Bailey. He de
clared Mr. Hearst had used "stolen letters" in
an. attempt to create the impression that the
Standard Oil company controlled legislation,
while many of the letters used, he said, were
in fact unrelated to any matter of legislation.
Senator Bailey said the cry today of the new
movement was, "Let the people rule." He de
nounced that as false.
"There are the southern states," he said.
"There is not a southern state that has adopted
woman suffrage, and I hope they will not. I
can not understand how any woman wants to
step down from tho high pedestal upon which
man has placed her to mingle in the broils -and
debaucheries of politics. No, tho southern states
believe in the rule of tho men people. Nofr
only in that, but in the white men people, and
I agree with them." '
THE BISMARCK ORDER
Several newspapers referred to the Bis
marck order forbidding the marriage to
foreign women of German diplomats as
a serious indictment against American Wo
men. But a Washington Herald editorial says:
No such thing! If it were, Miss Langham
never would have become Baroness Speck
von Sternberg, nor Miss Luckmeyer Countess
von Bernstorff, nor Miss Hoyt Baroness
Stumm, etc. None of these unions could have
been consummated without the kaiser's personal
consent obtained after a thorough invesUga
tion by his privy cabinet ("Geheim-Kabinett")
As a matter of fact, Bismarck's order had been
a dead letter for years, as it was meant to be
for in military Germany, as a rule, orders are
not given to be neglected, and was renewed fo?
the sole purpose of tabooing the contemplated
marriage of a rising diplomat with a gM! con
sidered socially undesirable, for a reason fnr
the sake of the highly estimable young S (ot
western Europe), we will not name. Whenever
SLJar?i ccas onf' suc a dilemma Resents
itself that notorious old rule of Prince Bis
march is brought forth from the "Rumpel Kam
mer," and, as an alternative placed before th
astonished would-be benedict Nnn tl ?i
scintilla of truth in fhe statement Uiasuch
unions in German diplomatic circles ar S
more strictly to be prohibited because '?ore?ffn
wives of German diplomats are unable to
state secrets." It is true BismnrTir , eep
of that impression in tCearlTws wheV
issued his famous prohibitory "?ule feJt S
f erred to ono specific case only and in 1L ? r?l
of his exceptional difflertSratettaS w!?h
rhtoftothseayGGsran dipiomats' he s
)(i)0)(-)0(5)
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