The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-06
SHORT SESSION, SAYS CANNON.
No Financial Legislation Expected
by the Banking Committee.


by the Banking Committee.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. ST look for
short session of congress, and the
transaction of considerable business. -
says Congressman Cannon, of Illinois,
chairman of the committee on appro-
priationS. 81 believe that congress will
adjourn not later than the first day
of next June, and it is possible that we
may get away from Washington by the
middle Of May"
'Will there be no national legisla-
tion?"
"Of course there will be. and some
international legislation. too. In the
first place, Hawaii will be annexed
You see in these later days the house
of representatives does not spend all
of its time in monkey business. Tom
Reed has brought parliamentary prac-
tice down to a fine point IT is now
conceded that the majority rule. The
minority cannot spend time filibustering
and doing all sorts of foolish things
to thwart the will of the people That
being the case, and the determine ton
having been reached that Hawaii shall
be annexed, it will be done
How about other legiSlation?"
well. the committee on appropria-
tiOns will have all of the regular bills
ready for action early in March. or
sooner. In fact. [ hope that some of
the bills will be passed in January and
February. and all Of them will be re-
ported to the house without delay"
What will happen in the mean
time?"
'The congressman interested in war
claims. private claims. private pen
sion bills. and all sorts of odds and
ends will have an opportunity to press
their measures for consideration Ev-
cry day will be busy. Out of our 356
members of the house of representa-
tives, not less than 300 men will be
urging and begging consideration of
their measures. They will all be after
the speaker for recognition, and | will
be one of them The congressman who
have public building bills on hand will
also be clamoring for a chance. Every
day will be day time, and there will
be no night during the session."
Congressman Joseph H. Walker of
Massachusetts. chairman of the COM
mittee on banking and currency, says:
There will be no financial legislation
1t has been determined by the author
and finiSher of our careers in the house
of representatives that the house of
representatives shall not be organized
to do business as Tom Reed used to
put it. On the contrary, the man who
OiISS olOOu pSIOIe the people as the
biggest man in legislative life is now
showing US how not to do business.
Your friend Cannon is right when he
says that we will do practically moth
ing but pass the appropriation bills.
He is also right about Hawaiian an
nexation. That will probably occur
before the Christmas holidays
But Mr.. Cannon said there would be
other business"
yes. he says so. but he knows that
nothing but the bankruptcy bill will
have right of way. All Cf the little bills
which congressman may urge will
not amount to shucks. The house will
meet from day to day and adjourn
without accomplishing much 1t is a
decree, like the laws of the Medes and
Persians, that the congress shall not do
business"
will there be a caucus of Republi-
cans in the house of representatives ?"
1T is quite likely that there will be.
There is no necessity for a caucus
The same power which controls the
house would control the caucus New
ertheless. it might be good policy and
good politics to have a caucus, in or
der to shift the responsibility onto the
entire party. That is very old DO
litical trick. When a man has the DOW
er to control affairs, and does so. peo-
pie call him a boss. If he has a eau
Gus which authorizes him to do his
will, then he cannot be called a boss.
because he is ostensibly carrying out
the will of his party. Oh, yes, pre-
sumo there will be caucus, and the
caucus will decide that no business
shall be done"