Nebraska Newspapers

    Norris Expresses
Opinions on Vital
Questions of Day
Senator Explains Reasons for
Retention of Civil Service
Restrictions and Abolition
of Electoral College.
Washington. 1>. <- ja.-Senator
Ueorge W. Norris of Nebraska, in an
interview today, went into com-ider
detail in explaining his position
ns to the abolition of the electoral
college, the Daugherty imjieai hment, j
retention of civil service restrictions
and other pending matters. He said:
“I do not think that people would
oppose tho abolishment of the elec
toral college if they stopped to think
of the absolute uselessness of that
machinery, it was put in originally
with the id'-a that the eleetorti would
exorcise some discretion of their own \
in the selection of chief magistrate,
hut we all know that has now become
a myth and there is no such thing as
discretion on the part of presidential
electors. I cannot think anil have
not heard of a single argument that
could he offered iii favor of 11 if reten
tion of the electoral college. Wq vote
for those electors who are pledged In
turn to vote for th<* presidential can
didate whom we fnvor. Why not
eliminate them and vote direct for the
man we favor for president? Why
this extra machinery, even though
tho same result is brought alaiut in
tho end?
College Takes Voters' Wight.
“This machinery in effect takes
away to some extent the right of a
voter to freely express his choice at
the ballot bax. In a free government
this Tight ought not to he Infringed
upon, either directly or Indirectly, in
any degree. To my mind this proposi
tion is fundamental under our pres
ent system. It is an impossibility for
a citizen to vote for a candidate for
president on one ticket and a candi
date for vice president on another be
cause the presidential elector for
whom ho votes, in order to have his
vote cast properly for president, is
pledged to vote for a particular man
foi r ice president. This may seem an
unimportant difficulty. As a matter
of fact, it is fundamental. It takes
away tho right of a voter to have his
vote counted.
“Another fundamental right in a
tree government is that every voter
must have the right, regardless of
parties and nominations, to write on
tho ballot the name of any man he
desires to vote for, for any office. An
•attempt is made to preserve this right
when presidential electors arc on the
ticket by having as many blank spaces
on the ballot as there are electors to
be voted for.
Franchise Curtailed.
In theory This preserves the right of
the voter to vote as he pleases for'
president. In actual practice it la an
absolute denial of it, because no man
can vote for an independent set of
electors. Thus his right to vote is
curtailed and he is only given a
choice. This again at first blush may
seem to bo unimportant, but again
T answer it is fundamental. No man
would think of providing for an of
ficial I'allot, for Instance in our state,
that would not glv<; the voters the
right to write In the names of any one
for any office and to have his vote
counted. Hence, our official ballot calls
for blank places in every office. If
we were voting directly for president,
Instead of voting for electors, and
ono blank line for president and an
other for vice president were pro
vided on tho ballot, this fundamental
right would be preserved. The effect
of the present system is to make it
impossible, ns a matter of practical
politics, for any person to be a candi
date lor president or vice president in
dependent of* all parties. It causes
political parties to bo- neglectful of
the sentiment of the people in making
nominations because they know (he
right of tho voter tu practice is cur
tailed so that be onlft has a choice
between -nominees. We would not
stand for such a proceeding on gov
ernor for instance, in a state. We
know the tendency would be to make
political parties reckless and careless
in making nomination^ but the same
rule exactly applies to president,
where this right Is not preserved.,
All economists admit that Intelligent
voting depends to a great extent upon
tho length of the ballot. I saw a few
years ago an official ballot of the
state of New York, and as I recall tt
now it was 30 feet long. Practically
tho entire tiling was taken up by
printing the -names of the presidential
electors oh' tho various .tickets and
then they hail as many blank spaces
a« there were, electors In the state
of New York. If the electoral col
lege had been abolished, instead of
taking up 20 or 23 feet of paper, the
entire thing would not have been
more than two or three inches' in
length.
Partisan Keeling Same.
’"It makes no difference how parti
i.an we are gr how hidebound we may
>o Ih our allegiance to a political par
ty, we nil wont a fair election and
to give to every qualified voter the
rieht to freely express his choice. We
ail rvnllze’tfcnt on this principle more
than on any other depends the effi
ciency of a- government by the peo
ple. and yon cannot take away from
the people the right to so express
themselves without detracting front
tho efficiency of the government. I
am not much of a partisan, but 1 am
frank to confess that men just as
intelligent as I am and Just as pa
triotic arc bitterly partisan. T think
they are wrong, but that question is
not involved. We all agree that a
man ought to have the right to
bo as partisan as he wants to be; he
ought to have the right to be as in
dependent as he wants to be. and
every voter should have the unqual
ified right of deciding for himself
whether he will blindly follow party
or whether lie will decline to be a
partisan.
"This right ought to be preserved.
It is not preserved in presidential
matters. The electoral college stands
in tile tiay. Hundreds of thousands
of dollars extra expense to the tax
payer is made necessary by this fifth
wheel- of our wagon. If it were abol
ished, the man who wants to follow
his party blindly and without excep
tion would have the right to do so.
The independent fellow would also
be protected ip Ills right. This free
dom is necessary in a free govern
ment amt- I think we all admit it.
-^¥00 have asked ote a question In
regard to the charges against Mr.
Daugherty that 1 am not fully quali
fied to answer. During the Wilson
administration there was extrava
gance and corruption almost without
limit in the expenditures of public
money. I think limited investiga
tions that were made by the commit
tees of tho house and senate have
demonstrated this. These extrava
ginces in the expenditure of public
funds have run into many hundreds
of millions of dollars. If we were fair
I think wo will concede that great
allowance should he made for extrav
agances during a period of war. but
from what information I have had
from thi se investigations, 1 have
reached the conclusion that many of
them were criminal. The guilty par
ties in many instances could be suc
cessfully prosecuted and sent to
prison.
"During the presidential campaign
"c made great capital out of this. I
think the country believed that’1f wr
got Into power we were going to
prosecute these criminals. I know I
believed it, and I think the people
generally sharer) in that belief, but
when we came Into power, no proseeu
th ua took place. In fact investiga
tions have shown that honest and
diligent men were discharged from of
fice because they W e‘'0 unearthing
some of the frauds ano getting them
in shape for prosecution.
Did Not Function.
"The Department of Justice did not
function. When complaints were
made the Department of Justice
claimed they needed more money and
that they had not prosecuted because
they did not have sufficient funds.
Immediately congress appropriated a
lot more money. I was suspicious
then that the Department of Justice
was not doing Its duty liecause It
made no request for money until
charges were made that they were not
prosecuting. I will not he satisfied
with civil prosecutions and the re
turn of money. Since tlie* complaint
was made a great many actions have
been commenced, mostly civil actions.
Criminals have as a rule not been
prosecuted. I reached the conclusion
and I think many others did that the
republican administration were doing
the same ns their predecessors. The
guilty parties were just as much our
fellows as they were the other fel
lows.
"When movement began to be made
for the impeachment of the attorney
general I declined to take any part in
them on the ground that the senate is
the trial court in case of an official’s
impeachment by the house. It seem
ed to he therefore that one who had
to sit in judgment ought not partici
pate in making the investigation. I
felt like X would feel If I knew I
were going to be called on a Jury to
try a man on the charge of a crime
Creighton R. 0. T. C. Officers and Non-Coms Appointed
Creighton university student offiiwrs on parade. Front is Maj. Edward B. Maloney. Serond row, left to irght: First l.ieul. Ah in \. tioeser, h irst
Lieut. I’anl A. Koelin. First Lieut. Is>ster E. Kramer. Second row, left to right: ('apt. Bernard II. Jarobbergcr, (apt. (Jordon llaniniill, ( apt. .Iniin II.
Walters and ('apt. Francis E. Fitzgerald.
Appointment of 29 commissioned
officers and 86 noncommissioned otfi
cers has been announced for Creigh
ton university by MaJ. C. S. Hoffman,
under provisions of the special regu
lations governing the R. O. T. C.
Thirty-five of the noncommissioned
officers are In the Junior Unit High
school. The others are in the senior
unit.
All sophomores and freshmen in
the Arts and Science college of
Creighton university must take the
military training. Juniors and sen
iors may take the training if they
care to do so. Juniors and seniors
who are taking the military training
are allowed the same ration money
as Is given regular enlisted soldiers
and they must spend one summer In
trulnlng camp. When graduated,
they are given lieutenants' commis
sions.
The names of those appointed by
MaJ. Hoffman, with the approval of
President McCormick of Creighton
are as follows:
Senior l nit.
To lie major:. Edward R. Moloney.
To bo captains: Bernard H. Jarobber
ger, Gordon H. Uammlll. John H. Wal
ers, Francis E. Fitzgerald, John W. Kim
ball. John B. Otto
To be first lieutenants: I.ester E. Kram
er. Laudence H. Brown, Paul Koehn,
George Koehn, C. Kelli Crowley. Jullua
A. Humphrey. Alvin H. Goeaer, I.arabert
A Hoch, Theodore Btuechel, Herbert
Llchtenherger.
To be xecond Iteutenanta: Logan T.
Flnnerty. Henry n Podier. Hubert Von i
Tersch. Parwin J. B Bone, John }’. Kel-|
ley, Lawrence Glynn, John Redden, Rob- j
ert J. Kerltn. Jlerwv A. Lacrmakers, Ed
ward Hourbead, Will B. Flanagan, Odllo
Suing.
To be color sergeant: Addison V. Bran
don. ®
To he sergeants: Gordon X. Richmond
Francis J Coffey. Frank ii. Beaumont.
William A. Kelly, John II. Pumphy. Ralph
M. Thompson, Addison V. Brandon. Ma>
nard tWeenherg, Isaac Sternhill, Frank
T\ Ryan, William E Chrlemas, Leo R.
McCabe, Robert E. Britt. John J. Fraw
ley, Donald F. Schwtfrtley. Charles H.
Sohemmer. Michael J. McOreevy, Ed
ward 8. Hickey. John B. French, Louts
N. Itask, Frank W. Brennan, Allen Ardell
To be corporals: Robert H. Weasels.
John RstMhcr. Thomas C. Konaston,
Frank L. Hose, Carl Ltnehauser. Amy
Harlay, Milton A. Abrahams, Frank H |
Cusasn. David Gross, Charles C. Moran.]
John C. MeKim, George V. Taylor, Julius J
R. Mueller, <rh«rl«-s 1, \ .up •*. Fnwren- -■
.1. Murphy, Prank Caps I, Kdward Jk* Ken
nedy, Charles Ruddy, Daniel Powers,
Prank Duggan. Jam- .s .1 Pit .igersRh Faw -
renee J. Ilrettnnn, A. D Trussel, Robert
A Naehtllynll. .John H Duffin, Sabas
tlan tireeo, St* pliea A. Mitchell, Kdward
J. McBnany, William Panning.
.(union I nit High School.
To be sergeants: Jack dihson, John.
O'Hrlen, Kdward R. Pennell, Virgil N>.
John Newl»»-rger. Robert F K* - nan. 11 - i
liam Rugdale, Robert 1' Fennell. Gordon i
Reefe, Richard Mu* huff, James Cash, j
Churl's Melnerney, Joseph Tlllotson,
Falnuel Caniglia, Charles .luorgens.
To he corporals: Rudolph Teller. Wil
frid Fleming. prank Winters, Frank
Maney, Fee Walsh, Harold F. Rtuhen,
Km met Powers, Hubert M 'Coy, William
Price, Ose.ar Pfaff. C. Peter, Jerome Fox. '
Dcnnl Ue°bc. Thomas Honney, Daniel
Wonder, William Seheibel, Charles
Dugan, Theodore Peter, Charles McNeil,
Joseph Sloup.
and I feel that way yet. I have fol
lowed in the newspapers what has
taken place before the house judiciary
committee and I have formed the
opinion from what I have read that
the judiciary committee has not been
acting fairly with those who were try
ing to impeach Mr. Daugherty. It
seems to me that they are attempting
to try those who make the charges,
rather than try those against whom
the charges are made. I have tried
many criminal cases and I have pre
sided in court in a great many cases
where criminals have been tried and
while the motive of the prosecution is
always proper evidence on the trial,
yet'it is no defense to a man charged
with a crime to show that the prose
cutor Is moved by prejudice or selfish
motive.
"Such evidence is proper in taking
into consideration and weighing of
all evidence, hut the issue always is
the guilt or innocence of the man
charged, and not what kind of a man
the prosecutor may be, or whether he
Is an enemy of the man he is prose
cuting. In nine times out 10 in
criminal cases, the man who is the
complaining witness in a criminal
charge is the hitter enemy of the man
he charges with the crime. As a rule
men are not charged with crime by
their friends.
“I think my position on the question
oC part iso i >li;p ts well understood
Tli»' partisan passes over lightly tin
faults that he **bserves In the reput It
,an party and empha.si/.es the » . r
ho discovers in the opposing . pat try
Thin s ,»f » urwc his m ilieu iMe
right I would not interfere with it
it, an> \v;i/ if I could It is on*‘ of
the fundamental rights of a tree poo
ple and a tree press I would go to
any length to protect him in this
light. Notwithstanding all ?k 1 do
not .t-groe with those who follow such
a coin V. To my mind— spelling par
ticularly now ( f newspaper*—a news
paper that will he ns free and as frank
in eritieising its own party as it is
in eritieising other parlies utnd parts
leadi ! :•. is p forming the hi.-jh- *• ttd
of ptiblle service and In the end*
• Mpe-sally in this intefllgdnt . its
Influence will l»e double ibat of a l
newspaper that pursues a partisan
course.
Backward Step.
“Our administration has tak* n a
backward step in civil servi< e mat
tcrs. We started but at the very
beginning by taking the p i office
partly out of civil service. W* have
follow I'd that up by taking even the
rural curriers partly out of civil sci v
i« c. The practi' t* new is, aftec tin
civil service examination tor tin * P"
^siti«ms. to let the republican m* ruber
of congress select the appoint* ** from
this Ijs'. 'Ihis may he 1>etb*r than
not having any civil service, but it is
not nearly as good as to take the up
[►ointments entirely away from poll
tu ians and let them he passed upon
<4^irely by the *i\i! service com
mission. It seems to me we ought
either to do this, or we ought to re
peal the civil service law and put
every one of those positions upon the
political pie counter and go on the
theory that to the victor belongs the
spoils. Now nhon our party lakes
this kind of position, or rather when
the officials in power being republi
cans, take this kind of position, it
seems to me vve ought to openly con
demn it just as frankly .and lr* •»!v
as if this were done by our political
opponents.
“It would be the policy of a partisan
individual or partisan paper to ex
ruse our party when vve did this, and
yet we have condemned the demo
crats thousands of times for doing
similar things. According to my idea,
wo ought to condemn it regardless of
who brings if about. I have followed
this course, I have protested to the ,
postmaster general that the course
they have taken is wrong; that they
are not carrying out the pledges we
have made to the people, and that
the effect of it all will be inferior
service. In doing this, I called down
upon my head tho condemnation of
a large number of prominent repub
licans.
“it is unpleasant to occupy a posi
tion of this kind. So mgph so, that I
.tni anxious to < u of public lif*»
i liav »P i a | ..nitinn of thie kind
for <• mar' \ \i that it in j£<*ni*<
tii rsi.m* . m! iftei 11! who is it that
s'ts huis'lf up • ai'i-o* with t1 •
right to Hay what tli party s policy
sh I! ! 'll: last • xpt ><on “f Him
I* lhl:« an patty «'0 Jilt* ■mhjje’ofc
tj\il mt\ e whs |H*rhi|H tip- doctor*
ation " iho la' r. «• I n publican
<.»nve*ntiou win i t h«'V promised to
k. • \ hi u'0«l faith tin* spirit of tin*
oivi! s< r\ i t* law. Is it then within
tin* po>\ or of the pr -nlont through
his peylira a r t ml to nullify Uiifl
tl fioo ami i » take the opposite
. unis' ami when ho does, is it tin*
duty of republicans to blindly and
f iihfullv follow hin in this course,
a ll In ar.: h ii put - UK l> foie (he r"Uu
tr> * - ph 'i. m, mip flung Ik Ioiv elce
Hon and doing a different t hi tip jif
I• *i■ election” Has tin* president 1h«
» u lit if following lus individual opin
ion to nullify the choree of a mt*
i .tiim 1 c-onv uk'ii and to make* it itu
p. ratio upon any uuui who wants
, * call hint * * a n pttWie.m to follow
him in whatever c urs* he d sires to
talc Ar** n puldu ii s tliere’fort* de
prived *>f the n/hf criticise him
n*. itise In* happen* t*» he* a repuhh
ejiu nd at the* sittjc* time happens to
|m prc-sadcMit of t li * * lT intcd States/
Are wc» as t ■ • pr• s< ntativ'.s of the* pro
pi | rf stuin.;- bur full duty when
wrcynain silent it sttolt times a*
(hi*- * 1 h ive* riven this instanc e only
a a li ilhisfa-aiic-.n of what is, in fac t,
only a general ruh*.
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