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MARCH 10, 1911
The Commoner.
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Bailey of Texas ResignsThen Relents
OWEN OP OKLAHORIA
The story of Senator Bailey's "resignation" la
told by a correspondent for the Omaha WoTld
Herald in this vayr
"Washington, D. C, March 4. Joseph W.
Bailey, United States senator of Texas marched"
up the hill and then marched down again.
"Piqued by the repudiation of his leadership
by his fellow democrats of the senate, Mr. Bailey
angrily wired his resignation to Governor Col
quitt. There followed a' comic opera struggle,
in which half a dozen of Bailey's friends sought
to restrain him the while the Texan protested
that the democratic party forevermore must
do without him. And then he relented and the
senatorial toga is folded about him as snugly
as ever.
"The direct incentive for Mr; Bailey's resigna
tion came from the almost solid support which
the democrats of the senate gave "to the initiar
tlve, referendum and recall as embodied in the
new constitution, of Arizona. Mr. Bailey does,
not believe in this doctrine and in the role of
a modern King Canut is endeavoring to stop
the tide of the ocean.
"Owen of Oklahoma,' one of the stalwart rep
resentatives of young progressive democracy,
had led a dramatic filibuster through Friday
night and down to within half an hour of ad
journment against the admission of New Mexico
to statehood, unless the sovereign right was
conferred by the same act upon the state" of
Arizona. Charging that Arizona was being dis
criminated against because her constitution pro
vides for the reform to which Senator Bailey
objects Senator' Owen, single handed and against
the concerted effort of the most powerful leaders
in Washington, including even President Taft
fought the senate to a standstill .and with the
hands of the clock facing toward the noon hour
nd the fact of several big supply bills trembling
in the balance, brought the greatest deliberative
body in the world to terms.
"He pledged the senate to couple with the
New Mexico bill an amendment admitting Ari
zona with both propositions to be passed upon
by one vote. Bailey had left the senate cham
ber while Senator OWen was outlining the ad
vantages of the recall angrily announcing that
he would not countance such 'undemocratic'
doctrine by his presence.
"The agreement to vote was reached during,
his absence. He returned in a little while and
handed .li'iB resignation to Vice President Sher
man, asking him to announce it. That official
refused to accept it. Mr. Bailey then turned
to Senator Bacon, who also. declined to announce
thd resignation from the floor. The Texan then
addressed his resignation to Governor Colquitt
and placed it on the telegraph wire. .
"The news swept like a flash over the senate
chamber and Taylor of Tennessee ran to the
telegraph office to intercept the resignation, but
was too late. The end of the session came with
matters in this shape and then followed extra
ordinary scenes which dwarfed in their dramatic
intensity all that had gone before in this most
sensational and dramatic of congresses. Friends
and associates appeared from both sides of the
house, crowded about him and urged him to
reconsider his resignation. He shook them off
and fled from the chamber, but they followed
nim to his committee room.
"And here is the remarkable feature of the
episode. Not the men who stand for the people's
rule, not the men who, through the grinding
session of congress, just ended, battled early
and late for progressive doctrines, but those
representative of special interests who killed
the direct election of senators, who framed the
Payne'-Aldrich tariff bill, whose efforts are
directed constantly toward the conservation of
corporate privileges, were those who insisted
that Bailey should reconsider.
"Vice President Sherman seized a pen, and,
on his own initiative, wired Governor Colquitt
a request that Bailey's resignation be refused.
He' declared that he was expresing the general
wistfes of' both democrats and republicans and
expressed the opinion that 'his services are too
valuable to our country to be lost.'
"Into Mr. Bailey's room they flocked Root,
Lodge, Lorimer, whose political career Senator
Bailey had rescued from the burning; Crane,
Carter, Depew and Kean and a score of demo
crats, all - of them' beseeching Bailey to recall
the written word.
"It was a striking commentary on the parti
cular condition of the times. Representative
corporation senator, headed by Sherman, tho
vice president, led in the appeal.
"Bailey sat in hia private office surrounded by
the special pleaders, his beat card played in the
biggest game of politics that tho nation has
witnessed in & generation. Tho telegrams
poured in, urging him to reponsidor. Governor
Colquitt replied to Vice President Sherman that
Bailey's resignation would riot bo accepted. A
message came from tho Texas senate urging
him to hold on . Pleas more eloquent than are
ever made in the people's behalf wore poured
into his ears by tho assembled host of corporate
republicanism, pleading with this representative
of a false democracy of vested interests not to
desert them.
"The arguments that were used will never bo
printed in tho Congressional Record. Democrats
joined in the chorus Bacon, Tillman, Paynter,
Percy, Overman, Bankhead and Taylor stood
by and we have it from those that were present
that tears were plentifully shed over the threat
ened loss to the senate.
"Enough that their honeyed words, spiced by
some potent and cogent arguments of a practi
cal character, finally prevailed and Bailey capi
tulated. Following is the statement that they
issued in explanation of his countermarch:
"Senator Bailey made public tho following
telegram sentTJy him to Governor Colquitt:
" 'You know how unalterably I am opposed
to those populistic heresies, known as the initia
tive, referendum and recall, and I would not be
willing to remain in the senate or in any branch
of the public service if a majority of the party
friends associated with me were willing to give
their approval to -them.
' "I construed the vote of the democratic
senators in the senate this morning on the
resolution approving the constitution of Arizona
as giving their support to those vagaries and
under that impression I promptly tendered my
resignation. The ablest and most conspicuous
democrats who voted that way have given me
their assurance that they did not intend their
votes to be so construed and have made through
Senator Bacon a statement in the open senate
expressly declaring that they utterly disapproved
them ' N-
" 'Under these circumstances and at their
earnest request, as well as at your own request,
supplemented by many messages frbm - my
friends in Texas and some from other states,
I have concluded to withdraw my resignation.
I am willing to work to the limit of my strength
as long as I can serve the public and at the
same time obey what I understand to be tho
commandment of democratic principles, but no
office could tempt me for one moment to com
promise with a policy which I am certain would
In the end destroy the government established
by our fathers.'
"While Mr. Bailey predicated his resignation
upon the vote of the democrats in the Arizona
constitution, many of his friends looked upon
that vote 'as the last straw' in a series of snubs
Intended to show Mr. Bailey the futility of aspir
ing to the democratic leadership of the senate.
"Close observers of recent devolpments in the
senate know that a movement against him has
been growing on the democratic side during the
last few weeks and many hero now believe that
the filibuster led by Senator Stone of Missouri
and backed by a large democratic following, was
duo partly to a desire to show Mr. Bailey that
his influence was waning.
"By withdrawing his objections to the tariff,
board bill in order to get an agreement for a
vote on the Lorimer contest Mr. Bailey alienated
considerable of- his following.
"When the Lorimer-tariff board compact was
made it was the belief of the republican side,
that there would be a filibuster against the
legislative portion of the agreement. - Otherwise
the insurgent republicans who were a unit against
Lorimer, would not have agreed to the arrange
ment. A vote was taken on tho Lorimer case
and almost immediately obstructive tactics were
begtin by democrats against tho tariff board bill.
"The only 'explanation Bailey could make was
that he was unable to call off his colleagues. In
this state of affairs it took little to arouse his
ancer to flame. All it needed waB the open slap
eiven him when he advised against the adoption
Sf tho Owen motion in regard to Arizona state
hood Although that motion was defeated, vita
defeat was duo almost entirely to republican
votes."
Senator Owen of Oklahoma had already won
tho lasting gratitude of tho Amorlcan pcoplo by
his good work for popular government when in
his fight in connection with the Arizona and Now
Mexico constitutions ho provided ono of tho
best of object lessons and mado a fight that
must have won him now frlonds in ovory section
of tho country. Tho Now Mexico constitution la
"conservative," In other words, it best suits
tho-represcntatives of Privilege becauso it does
not give to the peoplo tho methods for actual
control of tholr government. Arizona's consti
tution has1 tho initiative and referendum, to
gether with tho recall and tho latter may bo
exorcised with respect to tho judiciary. It was tho
plan of "tho system" that tho Now Mexico con
stitution be approved and the Arizona constitu
tion rejected. It was a clear cut issue. Senator
Owen made a gallant fight for Arizona and when
he saw that the Arizona constitution was doomed
he insisted that tho two constitutions go to
gether. An Associated Press report, referring
to tho Owen filibuster, said: "Tho president
was appealed to by the senators to uso whatever
influence ho might have with Senator Owen. Tho
senator declined to see the president. Ho said
Arizona' must come in jointly with New Mexico
and have her 'referendum and recall' constitu
tion approved at the samo time or tho bills
would fail. Both filibusters accomplished tholr
immediate purpose. The senate did hot approvo
the constitution of Now Mexico and the house
did not pass the tariff board bill."
All honor to Owen of Oklahoma. Would that
tho democracy had more such stalwart cham
pions in the United States senate.
NOW LORIMER IS A HERO
The following Associated Press dispatches tell
their own stories:
"Chicago, March 5. Admirers of Senator
William Lorimer to the number of several thous
and greeted him here upon his return from
Washington. Two hundred and fifty automo
biles, forming a parade with two bands, escorted
the senator from tho station to his residence,
where an enthusiastic reception followed. Sena
tor Lorimer was accompanied by former Judge
Hanecy and five detectives, who met him at Fort
Wayne, Ind. When he passed through tho sta
tion to the street his followers shouted them
selves hoarse and It retsuired every policeman
to keep tho crowd from swarming over his
escort. William Hale Thompson was chairman
of the reception committee. The parade was
formed at the station and the 250 machines
jammed their way down Jackson boulevard to
Garfield park, whore Lorimer was greeted by
200 members of the letter carriers' association.
Both sides of the park roadway were lined with
women and children, who showered Mr. Lorimer
with flowers.
"Rockford, 111., March 5. At a mass, meeting
here at the court house, resolutions were
adopted asking for the resignations of S.enators
Lorimer and Cullom. Several speeche'a wero
made condemning both senators because of tho
recent contest over the seat of Senator Lorimer.
"No one present spoke in favor of either
senator."
THEIR OWN ESTIMATE
We will paraphrase what Speaker Reed once
said: "Possibly we have over-estimated th
character required of a United senator." The,
senators at least have given us their estimate
of senatorial requirements. i
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"VINDICATION"
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The United States senate, by a vote of
forty-six to forty, haa decided that Wil
liam E. Lorimer is entitled to his seat
In that honorable body,
This decision is made in the faro nf
proof "that Lorimer owed his majority. 0
and therefore his election to purchased 0
votes. .
Evidently, a majority of the present
United States senate believe that seats
in that body are, proper objects of barter
and sale. It is instructive and approp-
rlate that tho same senate which seated
Lorimer should reject, by practically tho 0
same vote, the proposal to choose sena- 0
tors by direct vote of the. people. . 0
Denver News.
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