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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1914)
tf 20 The Commoner VOL'. 14, NO. S President Defends Appointment of Jones in Withdrawing Name The following American Press (Us-1 dummy director to fill a vacancy, and patchos glvo the details of the with- thoao who tread her decks today aTe juot no uuoui riii5 ui iuuiouuiuitb o tnoso who launched her on ner duc- drawal of the namo of Thomas D. Jones, of Chicago, for appointment on the federal reserve board, by Pres ident Wilson: WASHINGTON, July 23. Sudden withdrawal by President Wilson of his nominal jn of Thoma' D. Jones of Chicago to bo a member of the fed Oral rosorvo board today ended the bitter controversy over his confirma tion in the senate. Letters that passod botwoon the president and Mr. Jones accompanied the executive message and showed that the Chicago Jawyor requested the action and that the president compiled with some re gret that tho fi?ht conic not be car riod on through to a finish. . Senator Reed of Missouri, one of .ho domocrats who has opposed the Jones appointment, had just finished fc diatribe against the International Ilarvostor company, of which tho nominee is a director, and of those responsible for its organization and oporation, when tho withdrawal shut off further debate. "The time has come when discrim inations against any particular classes of men should be laid aside and dis carded as unworthy of the councils of a great people," said the presi dent in his lottor to Mr. Jones. "Par tisan prejudice" and "class antagon ism" wore described, and a1 militant 'one pervaded the entire epistle. Basis of tho Opposition. Opposition to tho nomination has roon based on tho ground that the irvoster company is under indict ment as a trust, and tho senate banlc 'ng committee had submitted a ma jority report adverse to confirmation, signed by all the republicans and two democratic members. Mr. Jones wrote that this report was basod on a distortion of facts and perversion of the truth," but ex pressed the opinion that aB a result of the contest evon if the nomination were confirmed by the senate his usefulness as a member of the re serve board would bo seriously im paired. Tho senate contest over the Jones case, which threatened partial oblit eration of party lines and a free-for-all strugglo, was at its height when the president determined to abandon his effort to force the nomination through. The opposition to Mr. Jones led by Senators Hitchcock of Nebras ka and Reed of Missouri, the demo crats who, with a republican minor ity, signed tho committee's adverse report, was planning a lengthy par liamentary struggle. Fooling in Senate High. The administration adherents wero hard at work seeking support for the nomination. Feeling in tho senate rati high. In this situation Senator Reed today took the floor. For several hours he attacked the harvester com pany and reviewed President Wil son's position against monopoly, as expressed, in the presidents writings, his expressions as to the "personal guilt of ofilcials of offending corpora tions" and democratic platform dec larations on the same subject. Through the history of the har vester company, from its organiza tion in 1902, the senator swept with a whirlwind of invective and sarcasm reciting from tho arguments in the government's suit against the con cern and tho records of congressional investigation. "This pirate ship, whose keel was fiino? o11 hy. Mr8an ad Porkins in 1902," Senator Reed said, "is sailing the same sea todr, manned by the ame crew, except for an occasional caneering cruise." While Senator Reed was speaking, a rumor reached the capital that the president had already determined to withdraw the Jones nomination, and a short time later Secretary Tumulty and Assistant Secretary Latta reached the capitol. Mr. Tumulty went di rectly to the president's room off the senate lobby and aent a message for Senator Hollls and Senator Pomer ene, who, with Senators Lee of Mary land, and Shafroth. have been most active in urging the confirmation or Mr. Jones. Five minutes later Senator Pomer- eno had filed the report of the mi nority democrats on the banking com mittee recommending Mr. Jones' con firmation. The president's secretary had not long been in conference with the senators from Ohio and New Hampshire, but the nurnose of hia mission was whispered about the sen ate lobby. Senator Hitchcock, one of the first to hear the news, remarked, "Glory, hallelujah." Then he returned quick ly to the chamber and as Senator Reed paused to look up a reference in his speech, handed this note to the Mlssourian: "President hag just withdrawn Jones. Tumulty outside now with message." Senator Reed was visibly affected for a second, but cleared his throat and proceeded with his attack as though nothing had happened. In executive session, a few mo ments later the formal announce ment of the withdrawal was received without comment. Senator Hitchcock, in speaking of the effect of tho message, said: "The message certainly lifted a load from a great many democrats. It was a great relief to some who already knew how they were going to vote and a great relief also to some who were still uncertain. I am sure it is a good thing for democracy." Say Jones Is Without Blomo The report of the minority demo crats on the banking and currency committee hold that alleged misdeeds of the harvester company had been committed before Mr. Jonas hrmnmo a director and there was nothing in tne records or any directors' meetings attended by Mr. Jones to show a vio lation of any law, state or federal, "unles 8 It be tb mere fact that tt, The minority also took exception to ing the New Jersey Zinc comminv with which Mrr Jones Ig cSXm asserting that the company never S been arraigned or complained of for the violation of any law, and that its business dealings were clean and fair. President Wilson in ani ... eZlnF prT Jones' na tion until today, when he concluded that the anti-trust program michfc be' endangered If the fight in the sen- ate was continued. Jones' Letter to President. Mr. Jones letter, made public at the white house, is as follows: "CHICAGO, July 20, 1914. My UJ uBiuwm: x nave reached defi nite conviction that it Is my duty to ask you to withdraw my nomination as a member of the federal reserve board. You are aware that I was in no snse whatever an applicant for the office. It was with the greatest reluctance that I agreed to accept the honor and heavy burdens of that office In case my nomination were sent to the senate and confirmed by it. I did not then anticipate a pro tracted and bitter contest. At the THE SQUEALERS From the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot irr.rr:'",'ny'j"g