The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-11
Chat of the Capital.
Washington Gossip, Political and
Otherwise, for the Readers
of the Globe.

deaVoring to secure the chairmanships
which they would like and which, if they
could have agreed. would have been bene-
fetal to the whole state. The trouble
seems to have been that in considering
these questions separately and in a body
there were too many ambitious men con-
testing for these places, and the outcome
foresbadows the defeat Of good many
who desire various places. 1t may be
stated that the ones anxious to beat their
OWE colleagues will probably be left out
in the cold. Frequent consultations were
held last spring and during the summer
and this fall between the different Mime
sofa members regarding committee as
signments during the Fifty-sixth con-
gress, and with one or two exceptions
there was an agreement. There was at
least one man, however, who attempted to
secure good assignments for himself with
out informing his colleagues of his pur-
pose, thus preventing the delegation from
presenting the proper support to secure
due consideration from the new speaker
The man who has held out, evidently
with the desire to dodge and to gain some
advantage, is, it is now predicted, the one
less consideration from Gen. Henderson
than any other man. The committee an
nouhcements, soon to be made, will prove
the truth Of this assertion, and at that
time the member of the delegation who
sought certain positions without consult
Ing his colleagues will receive no more
consideration from the speaker than
would new member coming to the house
to represent his district The majority of
the Minnesota delegation therefore Is not
IN an amiable frame Of mind, and the
difficulty growing out of this may widen
the breach between the Republican mem
oers. Something may be gained or lost
because Of this contest, but the people
of Minnesota will soon be aware of all
the details, and therefore be able to pick
out the man who is giving the delegation
moro trouble than any other member
of 1t, and who has probably prevented the
advancement of other members because
OF his efforts to get the better of his
colleagues on important committees.
The flood of bills in both houses Of
congress during the first week of the ses-
sion foreshadows some time in the future
reform necessary to prevent a waste of
money upon the part Of both houses
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mem
bers Of both the senate and house shower
ed bills upon the heads Of unsuspecting
clerks and buried them deeply under
printed paper. There is no reason why
any such course should be taken by the
representatives of the people of the Unit
ed States, for the reason that the result
ny16 he -
taking care Of these measures will be
great.
In the senate last Wednesday $50 bills
| were introduced, something over 300 reso-
lutions and petitions going into the thou
sands. This Is the greatest day that the
senate has ever experienced. It exceed
ed all former great days for bills and
resolutions, an increase so large that
the clerks looking after them worked
day and night in order to get them to the
government printing office
|
! 1 have interviewed some of the brightest
men in the capitol who deal with mat
tiers Of this kind, the principal of whom
has been a bill clerk for more than
twenty years. He had an interesting
story to tell, and it may be we'll for the
| people Of the country to know how their
money is expended, and how their rep
| resentatives expect to get advertising
without using any effort to benefit them
Reprinted bills form the principal part
of the flood during the first week Of this
| session. Many Of these measures, I have
/ been told, have repeatedly been refntro-
duced for period anywhere from two
to twenty years. They come In every
| year, and the clerks If they had their hats
| on would take them off to the various
measures they receive, for many are to
| them very old friends It seems to be a
hobby on the part of many congressman
| to reintroduce bills. They simply scratch
out the name of the man who previously
introduced them, insert their own. and
they go into the Congressional Record,
and in many cases throughout the coun-
try, as original measures
| AS matter of fact these representa-
tives and senators are perfectly aware
that not more than five out of the hum
dred bills they may push in to the clerks
IN either branch will ever see daylight.
However, the government is forced to
pay for all the extra work growing out
Of the Introduction of these bills and
resolutions, and the expense is enormous
Even men who have knowledge of the
exact situation regarding this course on
| the part Of members are unable to tell
just what it costs the government It is
only necessary to spend an hour or two
In the government printing Office to dis
cover what the real situation is. and
about what the government is forced to
pay to advertise members who introduce
and reintrOduce bills which they have no
expectation whatever will become laws
at this or any other session. Dead men
are frequently placed before congress for
consideration and referred to committees
which pigeonhole the bills without, In
many instances, even glancing at them
The moral in all this is that If the mem
bers of congress who seek advertising in
this way would devote their time to look
ing out for the interests of their con-
stituents the increase in measures of
various kinds introduced and frequently
reintroduced would be cut down At the
present time both wings of the capitol
are submerged by fool measures. and the
members who introduced them are per-
fectly well aware of the fact that they
will never become laws, and that ma
jority of them will never be considered
by the committees to which they will
be referred
There Is an interesting fact which has
probably been overlooked by the presi-
dent and other iuanciers in relation to
the message which he delivered to con-
gress last Tuesday man considered a
financial expert makes this self-explana-
tory statement:
"The president, In this message to CON
! gress. made a serious blunder in assert
ing that the exports of 1899 exceeded the
exports and imports Of 1870 by over ST.
| 0OO,OOo 900. Subjoined are correct figures
Exports in 1899 81 ,227, 023, 302
Imports and exports in 1870 SIS. 100. IFS
Excess ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $685.. 293. 126