The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-05

washington, Jan. 4.-Fifteen days
ago congress arose like flock of birds
in a field of grain, and waited Its way
homeward to enjoy the holidays. SEN
ators and representatives scattered TO
all points of the compass In search OF
happiness. Some find 1t In home COM
is in the bosoms of their families:
.iers flock in small parties to Ola
.>oint, Florida. or the West lndies,
where the hours may be whiled away
in card parties and Sightseeing. Others
go to New York for rest and change or
scene. A very few remain In wash
ington, catching up with their work
and clearing up the decks before 'un-
folding their sails anew to the legis-
lative breeze.
The holiday recess appears to be
firmly established. To ascertain
whether congress is entitled to this
Indulgence, the people ought to know
how hard they have been worked. The
session began on December 3 and the
recess was taken on December 21. Two
Sundays intervened, leaving seventeen
working days. The senate emphasized
its privileged character by working
sixteen of the seventeen, and the house
sustained its reputation for industry
by laboring more or less every day.
The senate was in session siXty-thre
hours in all, and the house seventy
one. The senate spent thirty-one and
three-quarters of it's sixty-three hours
over half the time-in secret session.
Notwithstanding this extraordinary
legislative feat, however, the two
hnnCnc
ord to the extent of $50 pages. The
senate is credited with 139 of these and
the house with All. 1t was lively work.
The figures are not only balmily in
structive, but exceedingly interesting
to the delving economist. They show
that If both houses had worked eight
hours a day. the time required for
other government employees, the Con-
gressional Record would have masti-
Gated 1,1O0 pages instead of $50; and il
the senators had worked in the open,
rather than in the woods. the periodi-
cal might have taken up over 1000
pages. The figures further demon
strate that If congressman We're paid
the rates established by them for let
ter carriers and fourth-class postmas-
ters, many of them would be hunting
mush and milk on foot, instead of
seeking terrapin and champagne in
automobiles.
a COMPETENT SUPERINTENDENT
OF course. the house did far more
work than the senate. 1t has a super
intendent who thoroughly understands
his business. His eye is on every
workman. and he has the power to Sc
lect, forward, or retard work, as he
rleases. This power comes from the
retaiument of the rules of the ffty-
fourth congress, better known as the
Tom Reed rules. 1t was under these
that Reed held the senate by the THROAT
while the Dingley bill was under con-
sideration. BY simply Withholding the
appointment of the house committees
he stultilied the action of the senate on
all eNtraneous matters. These rules
have not been changed a jot or a title
1t is almost certain that the fifty-sev-
enth congress will follow in the same
path, without deviating an inch. The
fifty-seventh will then be operating un-
der rules adopted six years before its
birth.
No greater tribute could be paid to
the genius Of the man from Maine. 1t
must be confessed however that
Speaker Henderson has not mis-used
the power obtained from former con-
gress by the will of the majority of
the house. He has an iron nature and
sympathetic manner. No favoritism
is shown. All partake of the same
Legislative food. Pie is rarely served
and when served the cuts are exceed
NDIx In lN,s
son stands in direct contrast with some
of his predecessors. Neither Keifer nor
Reed equaled him in the art of spread
ing legislative table or of serving
legislative meals. Henderson promptly
cut out the work to be finished before
the holidays. He inspired the heads OF
the great committees with his energy
and 1t was pushed to finish without
delay. Marvellous is 1t that so much
has been accomplished in seventeen
days. On the third day of the session
the committee on rules surprised the
house by reporting a special order pro-
Viding for the immediate consideration
of the bill for the increase of the army
IT was passed after a discussion lasting
two days. John A. T. Hull, chairman
of the committee on military affairs
engineered it to a final vote with con-
summate adroitness. The debate was
characterized with intense fervor and
enlivened with political paroxysms.
MCCALL LIKE A GATLING GUN
An event entirely unexpected occur
red. Samuel w. Mccall opened fire on
the measure with Calling gun. There
was CONSERVATION among the sup
porters OF the bill. 1t was like the
descent of an old-time Berserker on