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I i SENATOR BOURNE mm mm PRESIDENT WITH WIT USING APPOINTIVE POWER fOR OR COERCION WASHINGTON Feb President Taft by inference was charged last night with using his appointive powers to intimidate members member of congress The inferred charge was made in in ina a speech in the senate by Senator Jonathan Bourne on president of the tho New Progressive ro e Republican league and until un hI til recent trouble over an Oregon appointment appointment ap ape ap- ap the intimate friend and golfing companion of the tho chief tive the The surprising thing w was s that although although al 31 al- al thou though h the tho senators senator's audience construed construed con his his' remarks as an attack upon the president not a word ord was uttered in in reply The Tho Beverly erly letter in which Secretary Norton said Mid the president had withheld federal patronage patrona e from certain senators and congressmen but would discontinue that practice was brought into the limelight On previous ious occasions occa occa- insurgent ent senators threatened to read this letter but until last night no public publio reference had been made to it Mr Bourne Bourn opened his his' speech by bya a discussion of the Ore w. w He said when this law is enacted by byall all tho the states it will destroy the power pOt of the tho federal machine to a president pres pros ident or demand his successor The steam roller he says will be relegated rele gated to the tho political scrap heap gand and its operators to the tho shadow of things forgotten while fourth fourth class class postmasters t s rs will cease to bo be a political asset for a anybody or any party part Refers to Oregon Law Mr irr Bourne said Baid the use of or tho the presidential presidential pres pres- appointing powers to coerce members of congress w would uld be either cither bribery or intimidation intimidation bribery bribery if pat pat- patronage was used as a reward and intimidation intimidation if withheld as punishment In Inthis Inthis Inthis this connection he read section of the revised statutes making it a n crime for any person to offer or give anything of value slue to any member of either house of con congress with the intent in tent to influence his vote or decision in any matt matter r pending in either cither house Continuing ho he said Use of ot Patronage The natural inference from the Norton Norton Nor Nor- ton letter is that the tho president of the United States used federal patronage patrona e to influence the tho action of members of con congress This is n a char charge e which no citizen cap sli discuss c With ut re yet the tho whole whole subject is of such s vital ital importance importance im im- im in In the tho preservation of e government that I would feel remiss remies remiss in mv ms duty if I failed to call can it to the attention of tho the countr country and place be before ore the country such in Information Information forma tion relating thereto as may come como to tomy tomy tomy my attention The statement statement state state- ment indicates a deplorable and despicable despicable despic despic- able subservience on tho the part of the legislative branch and a dangerous and demoralizing usurpation upon the part of the executive I HI would have haye as much respect for a common ward heel heeler or who buys bus votes at the tho polls as for a R president of the United States who uses his appointing power as a means for forcing or persuading persuading per per per- members of congress to determine determine deter deter- mine or chan change e the their r course of action i One transaction is is as dishonest as corrupt cor rupt rapt and as depraved as the other but the tho latter batter is more moro dangerous more insidious more pernicious than the former for for- I mer iner because it strikes at the very cry foundation foundation foun bun dation of free freo institutions sets a precedent pre pro i for corrupt methods in in all official cial life lifo and marks the beginning of dictatorship and dec decadence of the na ua- tion But Mr President the th use of appointing ap pointing po power er to to influence the action of members members' of con congress is only one one means by which this power may be abused Public patronage is also an effective and aud danger dangerous u l power when wielded i for the creation or or maintenance ance of a political machine t with the purpose of of forcin forcing nomination of an executive or the nomination of a man manof manof manof of his bis character Beginning of or Dictatorship Mr Bourne outlined the manner in which civil employees are sometimes used to control national conventions and particularly he complained of their use in lD sending delc delegations from southern south south- em ern states which never send Republican representatives to electoral colleges Concluding in he ho said Extension of the of the power fower cx- cx is is tho the beginning of dictator ship The Tho remedy is to make presidents directly accountable to party and general gen en eral oral electorates by enacting laws for presidential l. l primary O votes St. thereby destroying de do the tho of oC political bosses and ald their backers backe s the tho campaign contributors con con- The people can bo be trusted The Tho composite citizen knows more and acts from hi higher her motives motive than any single individual however experienced or well developed In tho the composite citizen selfishness is is minimized while in tho O individual it is usually domi domi- nant |