The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, January 19, 1906, Page 5, Image 5
V"f "w 1 T& V v -. The Commoner; JJANUARY 19, 1908' ,. "5 'r-O - -s Vv'vv'V-? NOTES FROM THE NATIONAL GAPITAL I iTTT v 'vVvfwV4 Washington, D. CVJan. 15.- The republican managersof. -the house of representatives have been havjagf lots' of trouble ever since the holi day recess of congress ended. More "insurgents" were in their camp than they had reckoned. It was generally understood at the assembling of the national legislature that the beet sugar in terests would be able to pull away a considerable number oi republican votes when the final test came upon ther Philippine tariff bill, but neither Speaker Cannon nor his most trusted lieutenant had the faintest idea that the disaffection was as great as it has turned out to be. In permit ting such an extended debate on this measure the republican managers were not actuated en tirely by motives of fair play. They were com pelled to gain time in order to whip into line as many of the "insurgents" as possible. At one stage of the proceedings it began to look as if a combination might be formed to defeat the Philippine bill. TSstimates of the strength of the "insurgents" have differed. One day the claim would be made that at least seventy-five disaf fected republicans could be relied upon to kick out of the party traces. -A few days later the claim would not be so high, ranging anywhere from forty-five to sixty. The defenders of the bill have from the very inception of the discus sion put on a bold front and have never admitted the possibility of defeat. Their woes in private they have endeavored to conceal from the. pub lic. Both threats and sweet promises have been made privately to win back the deserters. The sweet promises have been intimations that if certain, members would not join the opposition there was a possibility that later in the session a public building bill would be allowed to pass one of those accommodating "omnibus" bills, though not near so expensive or expansive as the one that Former Representative David H. Mercer, of Nebraska, pushed through the house shortly bfore his retirement to private life. That successful undertaking on the part of Mercer left him a wonderful reputation among new con gressmen. That class of members have been introducing public building bills in such large numbers that the speaker made up his mind early in the game that a check had to be put upon the attempt to authorize the building of government structures in the smaller cities. A most forcible and entertaining democratic speech delivered since the discussion on the Phil ippine bill qommenced was that of Hon. Champ Clark, of Missouri. The demand for it is large, Mr. Clark is recognized as one of the readiest debaters on the democratic side. What makes his speech all the more valuable as a campaign document is that during the three hours he oc cupied the floor many of the leading .republicans were drawn into the argument, and the well known Missourian was, therefore, enabled to hammer them in a way that will prove most pleasing to all men dissatisfied with the Dingley tariff law. And as this notable speech has creat ed such a favorable impression it Is appropriate in this correspondence to quote the concluding sentences, as follows: "I hope that this day's work will open up a discussion that will be the cause and beginning of a wider discussion in the country, which will do one of two things it will, either drive the republicans of the agricultural districts into elect ing outspoken republican tariff revisionists Jiere, or else the next house will be a democratic house. Truth is mighty and will prevail. If I have con tributed even 'the. widow's mite to the approach ing triumph of a righteous cause, the three hours which I -have consumed have been profitably spent I have an abiding faith that when the eyes of the taxpayers of the land are opened to the situation they will not longer stand for the monstrosities of the Dingley tariff bill." (Pro longed applause on the democratic side.) The attitude of Representative Babcock, of Wisconsin, has been a severe blow and a serious disappointment to the house republican leaders. Not only has ho been acting conspicuously with the "insurgents" on the Philippine tariff, but he has 'for a year or more shown that many of the schedules in the Dingley law are distasteful to him and his constituents. Nor is that all. The republicans are evidently in danger of losing his services as chairman of their congressional cam paign committee.- As is well known .he has for ten years managed successfully thesa-v contests for his party. And not a defeat has yet been scored against him. Democrats recognize in Mr. Babcock a shrewd political calculator, an ener getic organizer and an indefatigable worker. His right hand man in the committee, Congressman Overstreet, of Indiana, who has been for the past six years the secretary of the committeo, has been offended by President Roosevelt in tho distribution of patronage, and announced that he would not serve again. In the matter of patronage Mr. Babcock has been well treated by this and the previous republican administration. Offices in his district have been controlled by him. The LaFollette faction in this respect were practically ignored. Mr. Babcock's uneasy feel ing is certainly not for lack of patronage. His constituents are known to be groaning under the burdens of taxation, and that is why he is so restless and averse to again managing a congres sional campaign. Before the end of the present month it is thought that the democrats and republicans will select their members of the congressional cam paign committees. Quiet work in this direction has been going on for tho past two weeks, but tho actual organization of the committees will not be effected for several months. The demo crats are at this writing discussing the question of the best man to be placed at the head of their campaign. Here and there a democratic con gressman can be met with who advances, the argu ment that it will make little or no difference whether his party controls the house in the next congress. Generally speaking, however, the demo crats are very anxious to wrest control of this Im portant body from the republicans. The sixtieth congress would meet in regular session on the first Monday ofDecember, 1907, or nearly one year In advance of the next presidential election. "Unless the unwarranted extravagances on tho part of re publican officials in various branches of the gov ernment are' checked vigorously by the party in power there will be lots of investigating to do. In this congress republicans will pretend to look Into matters that have been forced upon them by the activity of the democrats so far this session. The Panama canal situation is one, for instance. It will bo difficult to get at the real facts, for the reason that the republicans dominate everything in the senate, and they have the power to smother testimony calculated to embarrass or injure the administration. That canal will be a long time building. No democrat hopes there will be necessity for a complete and thorough investiga tion two years hence if his party then happens to have a majority in the popular branch of con gress. Democrats are fair enough and patriotic enough to hope that the exposures thu3 far made will cause the officials In charge of the work on the isthmus to leave no room for complaint. But if the reckless waste of the people's money con tinues they contend that the only way to put a stop to it is to have a democratic house get at the bottom of things. In other words, if they have thq power there will be one of those old time investigations such as used to be made in the days of democratic contro of the house. The democratic attack upon the emergency appropriation for the Panama canal at the be ginning of the session and the successful result by which $5,500,000 was lopped off has had one other beneficial effect in the house at least. The urgent deficiency bill is the first measure that is prepared by the appropriations committee. Most people wonder why the committee have been so slow in reporting it. It is because Chairman Tawney discovered that heads of several of the departments allowed subordinate officials to call for sums of money larger than he thinks should be voted. Mr Tawney has been sending back the demands for more money and has been calling the attention of the cabinet officers ta a law passed by the last congress. That law expressly provided that the appropriations for certain things should be apportioned to spend so much per month through the year, and that if the amounts were exceeded the officials could bo held to ac count and impeached. In most of the depart ments for a number of years the officers have been in the habit of making contracts In accord ance with their estimates, and when they run short of cash they simply go to congress and ask that the shortages be made good in either the urgent or the general deficiency bill. Mr. Tawney appears to be an unusually wise chair- man. In the face of tho fact that his party has such an overwhelming majority in tills house he does not care to bring into that body any appro priation bill containing a single item that tta not be Justified and defended. Tho gentleman from Minnesota fully understands that tho demo- crats aro on tho alort and will bo ready to ex pose any recklessness on tho part of the depart ment officials which may bo encouraged by tho appropriations committeo. About tho most picturesque figure on the re publican side in the present houso is Ex-Spoaker J. Warren Kelfer, of Ohio. This venerable Buck eye statesman whom the country has practically forgotten, was picked up once more by his con stituents and sent back to Washington, much -to the gratification of those fond of-gazing upon a member out of the ordinary run of human beings. The ex-speaker has a hobby. It Is one that was ridden for four years or more by Representative Crumpacker, of Indiana. The latter had to abandon it because President Roosevelt, Speaker Cannon and nearly all the house republicans of prominence failed to encourage him In his ef forts. Judge Crumpacker set to work to have representation in the south cut down on account of tho new constitutions down in that section which have deprived tho negroes and a small percentage of illiterate whites of their votes. General Keifer is pegging away at the proposition, and will not listen to tho advice of his party asso ciates. Well, the ex-speaker will not have a show in court, but if he persists he will have an oppor tunity to make a speech on the subject. His bill will never leave the - pigeon 'hole in the com mittee room to which it will be assigned. The republican leaders came to tho conclusion two years ago that an issue that has been virtually Icnocked out by the federal courts is a dangerous thing to fool with. The senate republicans seem to bo dreadfully afraid to come to any conclusion in the case of Senator Reed Smoot, of Utah It has been drag ging along for nearly two years. Their failure to report in the long session of the last congress was easy to account for. That would have been In advance of the presidential election, and they did not care to offend tho followers of the sen ator out in the far west. Two and possibly three states might have been lost to tholr party. But they have been pressed hard to explain why they did not act last winter. The democratic position is that either the Utah man is entitled to remain a member of the senate or he is not, and they think that matters ought to be brought to a head within a few weeks. But tho committee over which Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, presides, is delaying the decision until it can examine more witnesses. This may mean that the roses will bloom around Washington In the open air before the country hears whether Mn Smoot is to retain his seat or bo sent back to his people. ALFRED J. STOFER. THE EXCLUSIVELY INTELLIGENT The republican party of Nebraska, like the republican party at large, claims for itself a t monopoly upon intelligence as well as patriotism. The republican state board of pharmacy has re cently made to the governor of the state its re, port for the year ending November 30, 1905. The report Is addressed "To His Majesty, J. H. Mickey, the Governor." This is not to be taken as showing on the part of republican politicians a tendency toward the expressions and things common to monarchies so much as It is a justification of the proud claim made by republican politicians that the list of intelligent men begins and ends with the- roll r call of - republican politicians. JJJ IN NEW YORK Mr. McClellan has been formally Installed foi a second term as mayor of New York, but he had a mighty narrow escape. The small majority by which he won was both a personal victory for William R. Hearst and for the platform upon which he stood. The municipal ownership Idea is steadily growing In favor among the rank and file of all political parties. Democratic leaders east, west, north and south will yet learn that they dare not antagonize that sentiment oven in an Indirect way. I ,"5fl Jdfa -'! A t m x. i - MUMMyOK rtlT , &4. "0fW-