Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-12-26
WORK OF CONGRESS-.
MUCH ACCOMPLISHED IN FIRST
TWO WEEKS.
National Legislature Got Do> n TO Its
Duties in a BusinessIike Manner
Consideration Is Given at Once to
Pending Legislation,

Never did Congress get down TO bust
ness at the beginning of a session in 1
more busiT ess-like manner than this
year. From the opening day no oDpor
tunity has been omitted 10 give need
ed consideration to pending legislation
In the House, where debate is abridg
ed, and necessarily, the greatest
amount of effective work has been ac
complished, the passage of such meas
ures as the ,.rmy bill, the Grout oleo
/ margarine bin and the revenue reduc
ton bill-all within two weeks of the
opening of the session-show what
may be accomplished by a bus less ad
ministration, because it must not bt
! forgotten that the measures thus rap
been urgently recommended by the
| President.
In the Senate, however, things are
different. There, ar the opening. pre-
cedence was given to the merchant ma
rine bill, but this gives way 10 the dis
cussion of executive business and APP
| preparation bills. The time Of the Sen
| ate has therefore been divided during
| the first two weeks of the session be-
| tween the two great propositions
known as the shipping bin and the
| Hay. Pauncefote treaty. In the discus
sion of the Hay Pauncefote treaty II
is easy for one familiar with legislative
procedure TO notice the outcropplng OF
tilibustering tactics on the part OF GER
tain Senators. At the beginning OF the
session vote upon the shipping bill in
the Senate was confidently looked for
ubefore the holidays. But now Z : APP
parent that a vote viii not be reached
before late in January y hen the vote
will be taken cannot be safely predict
ed. OF course, if vote on the Hay
Pauncefote treaty can be delayed until
the army bin reaches the Senate. then
debate may be protracted upon that
measure-which will have precedence
over the shipping bill-until the neces-
sity for vote upon the appropriation
bills forces a vote upon the army bill.
Once the appropriation bills come be-
fore the Senate if it be the desire of
members to defer a vote upon the snip
ping bill. that Will be easy of accom-
plishment without a showing OF hands,
or a disclosure of motives. The ship
ping bill is one of the most important
measures now before Congress. and
the opposition TO it, whatever the OBJ
ject. cannot have any other result than
to defer indefinitely. the rehabilitation
of our shipping upon the seaS-an ac-
complshment to which the Republican
party has been committed over and
over again in State and national con
ventions. That fine pending bill is
Republican measure, and has the in
dorsement of the party as such, Is not
doubted The facts speak clearly for
themselves. Republicans were in con-
troll Of the Fifty-dfth rs they are of
the Fifty-sixth Congress. The bill now
pending is the only one that has been
introduced by Republicans. and may
therefore be accepted as the one that
the party leaders intend shall carry
out the party's pledges in behalf OF our
merchant marine.
In addition to this. the bill has been
twice before the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries. and
twice before the Senate Committee on
Commerce. and il has been as often
favorably reported from each of these
committees with the Endorsement of
every Republican member. Consider
ing that the bill has been discussed at
great length at hearings held by each
conn. tee, and in succeeding years, 1t
will be clear that ample opportunity
has occurred for all of those advocating
It's passage, and all of those opposed to
its passage. to secure at the hands OF
the committees the most careful CON
sideration OF thair statesemtns. Each
committee has by a majority vote rec
commended the passage of the measure
to its respective branch of Congress.
To say, under these circumstances, that
it is not bill TO which the Republican
party is committed is t. at the same
time charge the Republican party with
willful neglect in The fufillment of its
solemn promises.
II the bill now pending is not the
measure to which the party is commit
ted or through which the party expects
to see its promises 10 revive our mer-
chant marine fulfilled, then to what
measure can the party point as having
In view the fuI6lIment Of these prom
ises? ManfeStly none: because no 9th
err is before Congress. Clearly the Re
publican party IS either intending to
fulfill its pledges through the pending
bill or it has no intention whatever of
fulfilling its pledges with respect to
our ships upon the sea. 1t does not
matter that opposition to the bill has
arisen here and there. The duty of
Congress and the promise of the Repub-
lican party is the earliest possible pass
age of such a measure as will most
quickly ANA effectively revive our mer-
chant marine in the foreign trade.
Congress must be impressed, there
fore. with the obligations which a ma
jority of lis members, at least, are IN
der 10 the electorate of the nation. The
most pronounced of these obligations
In fact, the obligation that has been
longest deferred. a. 10 accomplishment
is that involved in the rehabilitation
of Tie American ship upon the seas Of
the world In party platforms in the
party press, and upon the stump, Re
publicans have. over aud over again,
pointed out that the people Of this ma
ton are paying more than Sl15.00o.o0o