Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1920 — WATSON DODGED MANY MEASURES. [ARTICLE]

WATSON DODGED MANY MEASURES.

Record In Senate Shows He "Missed" 166 Important Roll Calls —Opposed War Ban en Liquor. VOTED AGAINST PREPAREDNESS The record of Senator James E. ' "Watson, who is campaigning for reelection to the senate by alternately declaring that the * United States never declared war on Germany and that “We, should make a separate peace with Germany,” was placed under fire this week by a series of articles sent out for publication by ’ the Indiana Publicity Bureau. Watson is shown to have qcted largely in accord with Senator Harding, whose primary campaign in Indiana was managed by the Watson headquarters and whose nomination was brought about at Chicago through the influence of Watson and other members of the famous “cabal.” On many important measures, particularly those relating to prohibition and patriotic measures, Watson found it convenient to be absent and he is credited with not voting on 165 out of 600 roll calls. !■ Opposed War Prohibition^* For instance the Indiana senator, along with Harding, voted against an amendment regarding .the us§ of liquor in military establishments and both voted to table an amendment offered by Underwood which would have included members of Congress within the provisions of the army prohibition act. He failed to vote when the Reed amendment preventing the sale of intoxicating liquors was passed on. Harding and Watson supported a motion to strike out the provision preventing the use of agricultural products in the manufacture of intoxicating liquors, and both opposed Sheppard’s amendment to have the Reed bone-dry law apply to the District of Columbia. Watson, of course, supported an amendment offered by Harding to make the constitutional prohibition • amendment inoperative unless adopted by the required number of states before 1923 and both of the senators voted for a measure that would require the government to pay damages to property employed in the manufacture of liquor. On patriotic measures the Indiana senator opposed the administration * preparedness bill before war was declared, although since he has had a good deal to say about what he terms was the lack of preparation for war. He also voted against the establishment of a National Council of Defense, the creation of the United States Shipping Board, the * bill to erect a government plant to manufacture armor plate and the wire control bill.

Failed en War Vote. For some reason Watson failed to irote when the United States declared war on Austria-Hungary. He supported a resolution authorizing the President to prescribe rules for the censorship of the press during the war, and reted against an amendment to prevent disclosure of'information regarding military operations, and also opposed that part of the espionage act that placed heary fines upon persons guilty of disloyal and seditious acts and utterances. He was absent when a bill was introduced giving all soldiers, sailors and marines who are permanently helpless SIOO a month and he opposed an amendment providing that no civil service examination should be required of wives of military men applying for positions with the ment during the war. He also failed to vote when Senator Smoot made a motion to proceed to the consideration of a bill increasing the rates of pensions for soldiers and sailors of the Civil war. The senator’s antipathy to labor was evidenced by his vote for the anti-strike clause in the Esch-Cum-mins railroad bill and. his support of the stop-watch system In government plants. He failed to vote on the Adamson eight-hour law along with Harding. He was again “absent” when the child Tabaf law was passed and also did not vote on a bill designed to “protect the lives, health and morals of women and minor workers in the District of Columbia and to provide for the fixing of a minimum wage for such workers.”

Opposed Sugar Grant. Watson is having a good deal $o say to the farmers and in particular is criticizing the administration for the high price of sugar. Yet when President Wilson asked congress for authority to purchase the Cuban sugar crop Watson voted against considering the grant. He also opposed government relief ih the shape of small loans to farmers in drought-stricken regions and failed to cast his ballot on a bill Resigned to create a standard form of Investments on farm mortgages. He stood by the Lodge reservations Uie league of nations, but ppposed that meant substantially the / same thing. Since taking the stump \ Watson, along with Harding,/has . “scrapped the league,” and is „ Ing his plea for -re-election on a . rate peace.