Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1908 — CRUMPACKER ON RIGHT SIDE [ARTICLE]

CRUMPACKER ON RIGHT SIDE

Defends President Roosevelt Against Attack of Representative Tawney, Tuesday. Congressman E. D. Crumpacker, of this district, deserves much credit for having spoken in defense of President Roosevelt in the House of Representatives Tuesday, when James A. Tawney, chairman of the appropriation committee, charged the President with being a. law breaker. The charge grew out of the President’s appointment of an Inland Waterways Commission, and the question lng of his right to appoint it An effort was being made to pay members of the commission for the labor they performed and an appropriation had been attached to the urgent deficiency bill, and the House conferees with the Senate had refused to consent to the payment, based on the claim that the appointment was not legally made. Mr. Tawney was defending his position in the house and that body accepted his view regarding the payment and insrtucted its conferees to stand pat against the appropriation. Tawney accused the President of violating the law, and Judge Crumpacker was quickly on his feet, and he said: “It is quite a serious charge to make that the President of the United States has violated, a penal law of the country. I think the President does have the right to select a voluntary commission to seek information for the benefit of the President, at least without violating any statute.’ Asked by Mr. Tawney to give the authority of the President to appoint the commission in the face of direct law, Mr. Crumpacker replied: “My position is that there is no direct law prohibiting it and that it is within the incidental powers of the President. The President, in seeking information for official duties may use any reasonable > means he sees fit. "This commission' was not srvgeih the Government in the sense of the law, but it was in the employment of the President.” ’ _ '

“Then, on your own statement, whyshould Congress be compelled to pay the expense?” dmanded Tawney. “I do not say that Congress ought to pay the commission,” said Crumpacker. I do not contend that this claim ought to be paid. I simply took the floor to urge that the commission was not appointed In violation of law.” 5 After the house had agreed with the conferees Crumpacker and Tawney had a set-to In the lobby. "You go a long way when you accuse the President of being a felon,” said Crumpacker. “I simply said he violated the law,” replied Tawney. “If he violated the law, as you say he did, he committed a felony," retorted Crumpacker.