The Press., 1901-12-05

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W88nAmBb0m L0GB0Fs ~
Washington, December 9, 1901.
Now that the furry attending the open;
ing Of congress is over, both houses are
preparing to settle down to hard work
In the senate, indeed, this may be said q.
have already begun, dozens Of bills hav-
Ing been referred to every committee for
consideration and report. In the house
matters do not move quite 90 fast, as only
Eve or six committees out Of the sixty
odd have as yet been named, and all leg
islation will have to await their selectionx
The house, however, had suficientiy
lively time at it's caucus on Saturday and
Its biennial seat drawing Of to-day, to sat
isfy the eagerness of It's members for
few days to come. All this month the
senate will outstrip the house In its dis
posal OF work, only to be passed In the
long stretch that comes after the Christ
mas adjournment.
The scenes in both houses to-day were
animated In the extreme, the senate, Of
course, being the more sedate OF the two.
In that body the public is not allowed up
on the floor at any time at all near the
opening of the session; the aisles and
desks, therefore, remained free from the
crowd that surged in and out Of the house,
where the floor is cleared only fifteen
minutes before the representatives are
called to order. Many desks were load
ed down with flowers sent to favored
members by admirers by those who
had favors to ask later on. Members
generally at the Saturday caucuses, but
to-day offered the first opportunity for
most of them to be brought In juxtaposi-
tion with those Of opposite political faiths.
Consequently, there was much hand
shaking and many warm greetings ex-
changed between those who would, later
on, defy each other in the open sessions.
Some familiar faces were missing, a num-
Der Of congressman of both house and
senate being hung up somewhere in the
Pacific on belated transport which is
bringing them from the Philippines.
There is abundant evidence that finan-
cial affairs will play leading part in con-
gress this winter, exceeding in Importance
every other subject except possibly the
Nicaraguan canal. They will come up In
many forms. First, there will be those
who support the Babcock bill to remove
the tariff duties from all articles made by
trusts; second, those who favor reciproc-
ity In general and those who favor 1t In
particular cases-such as Cuba third,
those who want the surplus reduced by a
general revision of the tariff and thoee
who want 1t reduced by sweeping cut In
| the war taxes. Mr.. Babcock declares
that he will push his bill and will force
the house to show its hand regarding III
The republican leaders In general e&8
that the bill will -be-quietiy put g death
In committee, and will not come up for
action in the house at all. Which will
prevail, only the future can tell. Reel
procity in general Is matter for the sen
ate, but the proposed action In regard to
Cuba is one for both houses, as it will
take the form of legislation and not of a
treaty. Secretary Roots powerful rec
concentrations in favor of 1t on the ground
that 1t is forced upon us by the same con-
siderations that forced the war upon US,
namely, the necessity of keeping Cuba
prosperous, independent and healthy,
have. stirred up congress exceedingly.
They may, and probably will, fail to pro-
duce results, but they will undoubtedly
lead to hard fight.
Now that the Nicaraguan canal has
progressed to such a point that action
seems certain, It's opponents have drop.
ped most other arguments agail st 1t and
concentrated on the money side. They
quired will have serious effects in this
country; that 5000, 900, 900 cannot be
taken from productive industries and put
into one which for years must prove
absolutely unproductive, without causing
disturbances; that the extension of oul
coast line to so distant point will neces.
state the building of huge navy which
will cost heavily. On the other side
however, it is urged that the canal will
cost only at the rate Of about $40 200, ,00(
a year, and that much of this money will
come back to the United States in the
purchase Of machinery and so forth, and
that In any event this aim, vast as 1t is,
is nothing to country that can afford t.
spend $14O, ,OOO, 900 year indefinitely in
pensions alone. The arguments against
the canal are generally regarded as very
weak, and there is little expectation o.
their exercising any appreciable effect or
congress.
President Roosevelt has allowed it tc
be understood that any change that he
may make In federal office holders will be
due to one Of two causes either to the
fact that the incumbent of the Office has
proved unfit, or to the demand of o. 3
senator that a change should be made
When such demand as this last is made
to him Mr.. Roosevelt does not receive Il
i sympathetically, and usually asks square
II ly what the objection is to continuing ths
Il present man. Still, he cannot avoid rec
ognizing the fact that the senate is a Co
ordinate part of the appointing power
and is entitled to recognition, both b.
the constitution and by immemorial Gus
tom. Therefore, he often yields his owl
wishes to that of senators unless the can
didate whom they present is unqualified
or corrupt or does not measure up to th'
STANDARD set. These facts have beer
pretty widely advertised throughout thu
country, but have had little effect II
checking the flow Of Office seekers whit
block the corridors and crowd the ante
J room Of the white house. There arr
nearly as many Of these as Is usual at thu