THE WEEKS BILL IN CONGRESS 46^ 



the House. Conference reports also an attempt made to rush it through 



intervened, and it was late in the after- without adequate discussion. This 



noon of a very hot day when the bill taunt came with bad grace from the 



finally came up in committee of the men who for years have used every 



whole. Mr. Rucker continued his clila- means in their power to prevent the 



tory tactics, but Mr. Weeks and Mr. consideration of this or the similar 



Lever held control of the committee measures that preceded it, and have 



and of the House through it all, and to only yielded when they were fought to 



Mr. Weeks, when he was given the a finish by a majority that was the final 



floor by Mr. Lever, to speak for the product of ten years of extraordinarily 



bill which has been known by his name full discussion in Congress and outside, 



and to which he has given so much years in which several official govern- 



patient effort, diplomacy, and parlia- ment investigations have been made by 



mentary skill, was accorded the rare Congress, resulting in reports which 



tribute of genuine applause from all have been available in printed form for 



over the house. varying periods of time. 



Following his brief and straightfor- If there was not sufficient informa- 



ward statement, an attempt was made tion, and if there had not been suffi- 



to put the matter over until the follow- cient discussion, these opponents of the 



ing day, but the men who had deter- bill were the responsible parties, and 



mined to pass that bill could not be the ignorance which they claim argues 



shaken, and it was only when an agree- their own failure to do their duty in 



ment to go on in the evening was se- considering a great public measure, 



cured that a recess was taken until eight There has been no desire on the part 



o'clock. of its friends to hold it back. The 



A large number of members took truth is that the opponents of the bill 



part in the general debate and in trie were driven to the last resort of oppo- 



debate under the five-minute rule. The sition in fighting a plan which had 



principal argument against the bill was ample precedent and ample warrant in 



by Mr. Scott of Kansas, chairman of the history of our governmental activ- 



the committee on agriculture. Mr. ities, and was so strong that it could 



Scott based his objections chiefly upon only be beaten by delay. They had 



the allegation, which he claimed was found arguments against it, not by a 



supported by the most competent en- survey of all the evidence, but by choos- 



gineering testimony, that the forests at ing their own witnesses and belittling 



the headwaters of streams do not ex- those on the opposite side. The speakers 



ercise any appreciable effect upon the in opposition to the bill were, beside 



navigability of the streams. Mr. Scott Mr. Scott and Mr. Rucker : Mr. Engle- 



reached this conclusion by the simple bright of California, Mr. Howland of 



and convenient intellectual process of Ohio, Mr. Beall of Texas, Mr. Parker 



eliminating all conflicting testimony of New Jersey, Mr. Sims and Mr. Gar- 



and accepting only that which fitted his rett of Tennessee, Mr. Crumpacker and 



prejudgment. Mr. Cox of Indiana, Mr. Focht of 



Mr. Tawney of Minnesota discovered Pennsylvania, Mr. Southwick of New 



a peril to the structure of our govern- York, and Mr. Tawney of Minnesota, 



ment in the make-up of the commission The general character of the speeches 



under the bill, in that it included mem- f r ^ lc Ml was of a higher order. The 



bers of the executive and legislative speeches were more dignified, dealing 



branches, thus transgressing the com- with facts rather than with abuse of the 



plete separation decreed by the fathers, other side, and always holding steadily 



A point made much of in the House to onc purpose, to make the strongest 



debate and by Senator Burton in his possible case for the bill. The closing 



filibuster in the Senate, was the fact word for the bill in general debate was 



that the bill was brought forward in a brief, clear, snappy speech by Mr. 



the closing hours of the session and Lever of South Carolina, who had 



