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TOM BELL VOTED FOR THE MILEAGE
GRAF 4.
On April 17th, if. . Uouse of Repre
sentatives had under consideration the Legis
lative, Executive and Judicial appropriation
Bill.
Under the lava- it has stood for many
years, members of Congress receive 20 cents
per mile going and coming from Washington.
A proposition was submitted on the date
named. April 17. 11'14. to reduce this mileage
from 20 cents to actual expenses, which would
be about 2 cents per mile. Mr. Bell voted for
the extra pay. that is. voted himself $237.60
for mileage, when the actual railroad fare is
only $23.76.
Mr. Bell says he did not vote for the 20
cents a mile.
The Congressional Record is published
under the direction of Congress, and every
thing done or said while the House and Senate
are in session is accurately recorded.
Following is an exact counterpart of The
Record, April 17. 1914. page 7369. showing
that Mr. Bell voted against reducing the mile
age to actual expenses:
Mr. Cooper. Mr. Speaker. There is a
dispute among members here as to the exact
question on which we are about to vote. What
is the exact question?
The Speaker. The exact question before
the House is whether it will have tellers, but
the thing to be voted on is the mileage amend
ment in reference to Senators and Representa
tives. the two amendments to be taken to
gether.
Mr. Cooper. What is the effect?
Mr. Fitzgerald. An "aye'’ vote means
mileage under the present law; a "no’’ vote
means the provision reported by the commit
tee to pay the actual expenses.
Mr. Barnhart. Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker. For what purpose does
the gentleman arise?
Mr. Barnhart. I rise to demand the yeas
and nays.
The Speaker. They have already been
demanded.
Mr. Cox. Mr. Speaker. I make the point
of order that there is no quorum present.
The Speaker. Evidently a sufficient num
ber. and the yeas and nays are ordered, and
the clerk will call the roll. These two amend
ments taken together reestablish the old law
about mileage.
The question was taken, and there were
yeas. 95. nays. 242. answered “present” 5,
not voting. 89, as follows:
Yeas —95.
Aiken. Ainey. Ansberry, Anthony. Baltz.
Bartholdt. Bell. Cal.. Bell. Ga., etc.
Nays—242.
Abercrombie, etc.
The following members from Georgia
voted "nay", or against the mileage graft,
to-wit: Adamson. Bartlett, Edwards, Hughes,
Park. Tribble. Walker; two. Crisp and Hard
wick. were absent.
It thus appears that Tom Bell deserted
his Georgia colleagues in order to vote for this
bit of graft, and his denial of his vote now is
not only in the face of the record, but is a
slander on his colleagues who voted against
the graft.
IS THOS. M. BELL AT WASHINGTON?
IS HE AT HOME ILLEGALLY DRAWING
PAY?
About July 25. 1914. the people of the
Ninth district received a circular letter from
lion. Thos. M. Bell, headed "House of Repre
sentatives. Washington.” in which are found
the following words:
"Dear Friend: You are aware that I
must keep up my official work and with an
average of fifty letters a day to answer, and
at the same time carry on a campaign single
handed. is no easy task.” ,
Mr. Bell’s "friend” need not be uneasy.
He’s not in 'Washington —he's in the Ninth
looking after his own private business, and his
"average of fifty letters a day” refers to let
ters in his own private interest.
Wonder if he is drawing his pay as a
Congressman?
This is not the first time he has been at
home on private business while Congress was
in session.
Has he ever deducted anything for lost
time? If he has not. he has received money
to which he was not entitled.
Le him answer.
He knows.
Representative 'Witherspoon of Mississ
ippi recently lost four days, and refused to
receive pay for the lost time.
lias Mr. Bell ever done that?
The Atlanta Constitution of July 26. 1914
carries the following editorial which is to the
point*
Congressional Deserters.
Something amazing has happened in
Washington. Representative Witherspoon, of
Mississippi, has returned to the United States
treasury $82.20. representing four days’ sal
ary. Witherspoon had been absent from
Washington for four days on private business.
Little as it seems to be known, there is a stat
ute prohibiting congressmen from accepting
pay for days they are absent, njcilesa providen
tially detained. Witherspoon he could
not be otherwise than hones' '"'th -’•overn
ment. which means, of co, ..stitu-
ents.
Suppose the gentlemen who leave Wash
ington to campaign for re-election or for elec
tion to a higher position, should take this ex
alted position. Suppose that all the men who.
for the past fifty years, have deserted their
duties in "Washington to prosecute private
profit and ambition, should return the amount
they had drawn to the government. There
would be enough left, almost to buy and equip
a new dreadnaught.
It is a significant commentary that so
rave D the spirit of fair, honest dealing with
the government. that when just one congress
man who has drawn pay for nothing is hon
est. he gets into the newspapers. We com
mend the it etn to the rest of the deset ers.
It is also well that the voters should take
< ,'gtii7anee ot (he statute Lxcry congress"
man absent save for providential reasons and
accepting his pa> is violating the law. There
is simplx no way of getting around that fact.
\\ e have had outlaws of this stripe in Georgia.
I lew they excuse their oil ease is immaterial.
The offense speaks for itself, mid they go on
.effecting from the government.
In the meantime, let us hope that con
-ross will have the nerve and the patriotism
iisNf to grapple with this matter. The men
who are bearing the burden and heat of the
dux in Washington should not be penalized
and placed on the same plane as the other fel
lows. back home on the hustings or on frolics,
l.et an investigation be instituted. Separate
the sheep from the goats. Make congressmen
stay on the job. Or make them disgorge.
Mr. Charters publishes the following as
embracing some of the policies for which he
stands:
First: Loyalty to the Democratic plat
form.
Second: Holding the tariff to the lowest
possible levy, placing the necessities of life on
the free list, and taxing only the luxuries.
Third: Improving the present Income
Tax law by simplifying it and rendering it less
cumbersome and more efficient.
Fourth: The restriction of immigration
in order that none but desirable immigrants
shall be allowed to enter the ports of the Uni
ted States.
Fifth: Abolishing all forms of gambling
in farm products.
Sixth: The placing of the strong hand
of the government on all corporations doing
an interstate business and making them sub
ject to complete government regulation and
control.
Seventh: The repeal of the present
bankruptcy law.
Eighth : The encouragement of all rea
sonable measures tending to promote the tem
perance, the health, the morals and the gen
eral well-being of the people.
Ninth: The securing of liberal appro
priations from Congress for the improvement
of the roads of the country. Nothing so much
as good roads tends to the prosperity of the
farmer and the attractiveness of farm life.
Especially is this aid needed in the moun
tain districts where the difficulties are many
and the expense large in the building of roads.
The Constitution of the United States
provides that Congress has the power “to es
tablish post-offices ami post roads.” The gov
ernment Ims engaged in building good roads
for the Filipinos. "Why not for Georgians?
Tenth: The cutting down of the enor
mous expenditures of the Government; the
establishment of a policy of strict economy;
the safeguarding of the people’s money.
Eleventh: A change in the system of
the distribution of seed. Let this distribu
tion be made by the Agricultural Department
after the seed have been tested. Congress
men should not be allowed to curry favor with
cheap seed at Government expense.
Twelfth: The enlargement of postal fa
cilities to the end that people living on the
farm may have like conveniences as those
living in the city.
Thirteenth: The repeal of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Federal Constitution which
provides for the enfranchisement of the negro;
and the filling of all Government positions by
white people.
Fourteenth: Government aid in the
drainage of swamp lands.
Fifteenth : No life tenure for any official,
whether he be U. S. Judge or mail carrier, or
what not. The people should have some voice
in the selection of postmasters.
Sixteenth: The absolute separation of
Church and State.
Seventeenth: When corporations violate
the anti-trust and other salutary laws, the
guilty officers should be punished by impris
onment. It is farcial in such cases to merely
fine the corporation.
Eighteenth : The correction of the abuse
of the franking privilege. Members of Con
gress should be required to pay postage on all
mail matter except that strictly of a public
nature.
Nineteenth: Independence of the Phil
ippine Islands at the earliest practical mo
ment. We should never have acquired them
in the first place.
Twentieth: Strengthen the anti-lobby
ing and anti-trust laws; enact legislation for
speeding the administration of justice: and
jealously guard the rights of the States.
BELL TURNS A CRIPPLE DOWN.
Is Thos. M. Bell the poor man’s friend?
G. N. Sloan, a poor man and a cripple,
wanted to be appointed to gather the Hall
county cotton statistics, from which the gov
ernment’s ginners’ reports are made up.
He consulted Mr. Bell about it.
Mr. Bell told him the position was filled
under the rules of the Civil Service Commis
sion. and that it would be necessary to stand a
Civil Service examination.
Soon afterwards a very prosperous citi
zen was appointed without an examination.
Here is Mr. Sloan’s affidavit. Read it:
Georgia. Hall County.
Personally appeared G. N. Sloan, who de
poses and swears as follows:
That he is young man. a native of Hall
county, and has been an ardent supporter of
Thos. M. Bell, that he is a cripple with a de-
ficiency in his leg. and that he is therefore
handicapped in pursuing any vocation in life
of hard labor; that in February 1913 depo
nent wrote to Mr. Bell asking of him how the
I ><ition of gin inspector for Hall county was
ti. cd. whether under appointment- or under
the civil service rules, and stating at the time
that deponent was a cripple and without funds
and handicapped in his efforts to obtain a
livelihood, and asking that Mr. Bell, if the po
sition was appointive, use his efforts in order
to enable deponent to secure this position.
Deponent also advised Mr. Bell at the
time that he was the son of J. E. Sloan of
Clinehem district. To this letter Mr. Bell re
plied that the position of gin inspector was
tilled under the rules of the Civil Service com
mission only ami the only means by which de
ponent could hope to get the place would be
that the incumbent, who was at that time Mr.
Longstreet, should resign or be removed by
cause, and then deponent would have to stand
a civil service examination.
At the time deponent made this appli
cation I was attending school on borrowed
money. G. N. SLOAN.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
the 19th day of July, 1914.
JAS. A. RUDOLPH. N. P„
Hall County, Ga.
BELL VOTED WITH THE LUMBER TRUST
AND AGAINST THE PEOPLE.
TOM WATSON TELLS THE TRUTH
ON TOM.
How Did Tom Bell Vote?
We have been furnished with a letter in
which Congressman Bell makes a denial of the
charge that he voted with Republicans and for
the Lumber Trust.
Well, let’s look it up. If we have done
the Hon. Tom any injustice, we must make
amends as far as posible.
It was on April 9th that the House of
Representatives was voting on the lumber
schedule of the Payne tariff bill. The first
division is found on page 174 of the Congres
sional Record. When the sheep and the goats
went their different ways, on that first test,
we find to our poignant sorrow that the Hon.
Tom is catalogued as a goat.
Thomas deserted the Democratic leader,
Hon. Champ Clark, and flocked along with the
Republicans,‘who were following Hon. Sereno
Payne, the Republican leader.
The next division occurred on the amend
ment offered by Tawney of Minnesota, the ef
fect of which would have been to reduce the
duty on dressed lumber. Again nearly all the
Democrats followed their official leader and
voted for the Tawney amendment. And again
to our chagrin and demoralization we find
Hon. Tom Bell penned up with the Republi
cans. a he-goat by choice and delberate affili
ation.
Once more, on page 1177. the House di
vided on the question of [Hitting on the free
list all the articles mentioned in the Tawney
amendment, beginning with the words,
"Wood, sawed boards, planks, etc.”
The great majority of the Democrats, fol
lowing Mr. Clark, their leader, voted for the
amendment. Once more we sigh and grieve to
find our little Bell tinkling in the goat pas
ture. along with the wicked Republicans.
Now, let us be fair to Mr. Bell. He DID
vote with De Armand on the proposition to ad
mit, free of duty, lumber, etc., from any de
pendency of North America. South America.
Central America, or any island of the Western
Hemisphere. Our Mr. Bell also voted for Mr.
Clark's motion to strike out the lumber sched
ule entirely. NEITHER OF THOSE PROPO=
SiTIONS HAD ANY CHANCE OF SUCCESS
IN THAT REPUBLICAN HOUSE, AND EV
ERYBODY THERE KNEW IT.
De Armond was voted down by 244 to 33.
and Mr. Clark was defeated by 22S to 153.
But on the other divisions, where a lib
eral and honest Republican, like Tawney, was
offering amendments which would have re
duced the lumber duties and placed on the free
list many kinds of timber, there were Repub
lican members who were willing to give the
people that measure of relief, and had the
Democrats loyally followed their honest and
able leader. Tawney's amendments would have
carried.
IT WAS THE DEFLECTION OF HON.
TOM BELL AND THE OTHER BLACK LIST !•
DESERTERS THAT DEFEATED REFORM >
AND CARRIED VICTORY TO THE LUMBER
TRUST.
The first of the Tawney amendments,
proposing to put square timber on the free
list, was defeated by a vote of 194 to 184. [
Had Hon. Tom Bell followed his official leader, i
and had the other Democratic deserters done '
the same thing, the Republican leader would
have been whipped.
The second and third amendments of Mr.
Tawney were likewise thrown out by close j
votes. Each of these amendments would '•
have become a law HAD SUCH DEMOCRATS j
AS TOM BELL NOT DESERTED TO THE
ENEMY.
In the letter to which reference has been
made, Mr. Bell makes the point on Mr. Taw
ney that he voted against the De Armond ami
Clark amendments. So he did. As a Repub
lican, he felt that he could not consistently go 1
so far as to place all timber and lumber on i
the free list.
But his amendments offered immense
benefits to the country, and would have dealt
the Lumber Trust a staggering blow.
FOR THAT REASON, such Democrats as
Clark and De Armond voted with Tawney.
FOR THE SAME REASON, the Republicans
almost solidly voted against Tawney.
WHY DID TOM BELL SIDE WITH THE
REPUBLICAN LEADER ON THOSE CLOSE
VOTES WHERE THE LUMBER TRUST
COULD HAVE BEEN WHIPPED, IF THE
DESERTERS HAD NOT GONE OVER TO
THE ENEMY?
(From the "Weekly Jeffersonian. May 27,
1909.)
SENATOR HOKE SMITH PRAISED BY ‘
POSTMASTER GENERAL BURLESON
FOR WORK ON THE PARCEL POST
The charge made in certain quarters that Senator Hoke Smith has
opposed the parcel post system is refuted by no less an authority than
Postmaster General Burleson himself. Mr. Joseph P. Rockmore, of Lo
gansville, Ga., wrote to the Postmaster General as follows:
“Logansville, Ga.. July 13, 1914.
“Hon. A. S. Burleson,
“Postmaster General.
“Washington, D. C.
“Dear Sir: It has been charged that Senator Hoke Smith, of Georgia,
is opposed to the parcel post. I being a friend and ardent supporter of
Senator Smith will ask that you write me just what his attitude toward
the parcel post has been in the past and greatly oblige.
“Yours very truly,
“JOSEPH P. ROCKMORE.”
Mr. Burleson’s Reply.
The Postmaster General replied as follows:
“Office of the Postmaster General,
“Washington, D. C., July 15, 1914.
“Mr. Joseph P. Rockmore,
“Logansville, Ga.
“Dear Sir: lam in receipt of your favor of recent date. lam profoundly
astonished that any one should charge that Senator Hoke Smith is oppos
ed to the parcel post. The exigencies of the situation must be desperate
indeed when such gross perversion of the truth is resorted to. I sup
pose the shadow of basis for this charge is found in the fact that Senator
Smith one time expressed a fear that the department might go a little
too fast in increasing the weight limit of mailable parcels—an apprehen
sion shared by others, some of whom are in the department itself.
“Instead of being the enemy of the parcel post, Senator Hoke Smith has
been and is one of its most intelligent friends and supporters; in fact,
the people are indebted to Senator Smith for material assistance in em
bodying in the parcel post law the vitalizing provisions which will enable
the postmaster general to ultimately make this splendid service so helpful
and beneficial to the great producing classes of our country. Indeed, they
owe him a debt of gratitude for what he has done for parcel post.
“I have said this much in response to your query because it is due
Senator Smith that the truth be made known.
“Permit me, in conclusion, to express the hope that this faithful public
servant will suffer no hurt because of the circulation of such baseless and
unjust statements.
“Respectfully yours,
“A. S. BURLESON,
“Postmaster General.”
Protection For Farmers’ Organizations
Section 7 of the bill recently reported to the senate, known as the anti
trust bill, was placed in the measure by Senator Hoke Smith, after a vig
orous fight, and is as follows:
“Sec. 7. That nothing contained in the anti-trust laws shall be con
strued to forbid the existence and operation of labor, agricultural, or hor
ticultural organizations, instituted for the purposes pf mutual help, and
not having capital stock or conducted for profit, or to forbid or restrain
individual members of such organization from lawfully carrying out the
legitimate objects thereof: nor shall such organizations, or the members
thereof, be held or construed to be illegal combinations or conspiracies
in restraint of trade, under the anti-trust laws.”
The above section is intended to prevent the prosecution of such
organizations as the Farmers’ Union as being in restraint of trade. It
embodies the spirit of a biff introduced in the senate in April, 1913, by
Senator Bacon, and in the houseby Congressman Bartlett and known
as the Bacon-Bartlett bill. Since the death of Senator Baron Senator
Smith has put the above amendment into the anti-trust bill which is
soon to be passed.
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