The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-22
RAPID LEGISLATION.
Speaker Reed Wants Congress to Ad-
journ in May,
BUT THE NORTH END OF THE CAPITOL

rushing things along-that is, the pop
Mar branch of it Island evidence null
tiplies that the vigor of the representa-
tives is having it's effect upon the SEN
ate. The committee on appropriations
is two months ahead Of its regular work,
and four of it's six bills had passed the
house before the close of January. Three
bills in other committees are now near
" ready, All other business is in like
forward state, and so Speaker Reed re-
iterates his declaration that the third
week in May is the time for adjourn
ment. And so no doubt it would easily
be if he could have his way, but there
is body at the north end of the capt.
toll which is proverbially slow, and some
critics are mean enough to say that as
a short session would obviously aid Mr..
Reeds aspirations the western senators
generally are bound to have a long one.
But we must not suspect statesmen of
mean motives.
The gossips of the corridor are loud
in their statements that the two houses
have completely changed characters,
for, though it was the intent of the con-
Etitutional fathers that the senate should
be the slowly solemn body to restrain
the impetuosity of the house, SO far in
this congress nearly all the wild schemes
have come from the senate and have
been greatly modified by the house. It
does look that way. The standard illus
tration of the cup of hot tea and the
saucer to cool it, which has been attrib-
uted in turn to Lincoln, Washington
and half a dozen British statesmen, is
at present inapplicable, for the senate
speeches have steadily grown more vio-
lent, from the scholarly diatribes of
Lodge and Chandler to the frantic phi
1ippic of "Pitchfork' Ben, as the new
one from South Carolina is affectionate-
~ called However, the quickest way of
estimating the work of the house is to
take the committees in the order of their
Importance.
By common consent ways and means
stands at the head of all legislative bod
les, and justly so, for it deals with the
citizens money, and a committee with
such members as Nelson Dingley, Gen
era1 Grosvenor, Serene E. Payne, John
Dalzell, Charles F. Crisp, Benton No
Millin and their compeers would be
great anywhere. The present committee
has rarely been equaled in congress and
probably never excelled. It has had 80
bills and 25 joint resolutions referred to
it, of which it has approved A and pass
ed through the house-namely, the
bond bill, the tariff bill and the bill to
destroy the income tax return. It has
decided to elaborate the fourth and
make it provide for a complete system
of customs administration. The only
other bill which seems to have much
chance Of being supported by this COM
mittee is that for creating a subtreasury
at Savannah. In short, the leading COM
mittee of the house is practically func-
tus officio, as we say in the supreme
court, having done about all it intends
to do in this congress.
An Unusual Feat.
The appropriations committee, as
aforesaid, has got four bills through the
house-pensions, military academy, ur-
gent deficiency and consular and diplo-
matte. Other committees have bills
nearly ready, SO of the Is appropriation
bills are as good as done with. Secretary
Morton had his little wrestle with the
committee on agriculture, but the $780,
900 appropriated by last years bill for
the purchase and distri button of valua-
BILE seeds and returned unexpended by
Mr.. Morton is again appropriated by
the committee and will be of course ap-
proved by congress. 1t appears that this
department has achieved the remarkable
feat of saving over 81 900. 900 from the
appropriation in a few years, and the
committee has ordered it set aside as
the nucleus of fund for the erection
of the new building for the department
of agriculture. 1t is an interesting fact
that all this speed has been secured
without undue haste or sacrifice of any
ones rights, and though the Democrats
wanted more time on the tariff it looks
in The Record as if every man had said
what he wanted to. According to Gus
tom, the house did not limit the debate
on the pension bill, and it ragged for five
days, to the delight of the new mem
bers, as that is usually their opportuni-
ty. In fact, the debate on pensions in
the house is like a temperance meeting
in one of our western states. It gives
ambitious students, young lawyers and
would be orators a chance to get before
and incidentally to practice on the pub
lie.
Differences ON Finance.
Chairman Joseph Walker of banking
and currency is considerably discour-
aged over his prospects. but comes up
smiling with his comprehension bi1l''
somewhat improved. He is certainly no
humorist, but is the cause of much hu-
NOR in others, and one of his colleagues
says, ''He must be a humbug, because
no man can be as wise as he looks. -
Mr.. Walker certainly does look the beau
ideal of the fnancier and can explain
his measure with delightful clearness,
which is proved by the fact that IN
derstood it before he had talked to me
five minutes. He says, in brief, that ev-
cry day of congress adds to the proba-
bilities that no really comprehensive
currency legislation can be gotten
through. 1t really does seem as if the
more clearly ha axnlains a hill the mora