The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1902-01-24
NO RECIPROCITY NOW.
Dingley Treaties e Hectually Side
tracked For This Session.
SOME CONSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIONS
why the Pension Appropriation
Measure Ii known as the "Gas
BiIl"-The Sacred senate RuIes-A
Long Debate In Prospect.

Measure IL known the "Gas
BilI"-The Sacred senate RuIes-A
Long Debate In Prospect.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-lSpecial.l-
Nothing more was needed to make
the reciprocity treaties impossible at
this session OF congress. but several
senators i'm order 10 make 1t absolutely
sure that they should die brought up
constitutional question in connection
with their validity, which means that
they will never see the light OF day.
The treaties were negotiated under the
Dingley bill. which provided that they
should be ratified by congress before
they became valid but the constitu-
tional lawyers of the senate say that
congress had no authority to confer
power upon the president relative TO
the negotiation Of treaties This power
WAS constitutional, and the only limit
was that treaties should be ratified by
a two-thirdS vote of the senate; there
fore this provision of the Dingley act
was unconstitutional. Further, the
Dingley law had no right TO specify
congress as the ratifying power when
the senate has that authority under the
constitution. Now. this has started "a
train of discussion and research which
will last thr ugh this session and the
next if necessary, so our reciprocity
friends may as well give up all hope Of
accomplishing anything.
a Bill For Talk.
At every session Of congress some par
ticuar bill is selected in the house for
general extended debate, and generally
this is the pension appropriation bill,
because it j. brought forward early in
the session when there is little or moth
ing of IA pressing nature going on. The
debate always takes Il wide range. Any
member who desires TO discuss almost
any subiecl is allowed 10 do so, and
The Congrt ssiOnal Record shows that
all kinds OF speeches on all kinds OF
subjects are made. The pension bill.
therefore. became known in some quar-
tiers as the gas bill" just as the river
bill" The pension bill is never amend
ed although all sorts of amendments
are offered.
Stood by the Rules.
There was a hearing in the senate
committee on territories the other day
concerning charges against Governor
Otero. renominated for governor of
New Mexico. 1t was executive bust
ness. of course. but it made no differ
ence To Senator Beveridge, chairman of
the committee. who saw no reason why
the fact should not be made public, so
when Il newspaper man made his ap-
pearance he made no objection. Final
~ an older senator saw the newspaper
man taking notes and called Mr.. Beyer'
idge's attention TO it.
This is executive business" said he
in a stage whisper.
IL know it," said Senator Beveridge,
"but these charges have all been print
ed before
But it is an infraction Of the rules
of the senate" persisted the senator.
We'll. don't want to interfere with
senate rules" said Mr. Beveridge, and
the newspaper man was politely re-
quested 10 retire.
Incidentally | want to remark that
after the committee heard all the
charges Governor Otero was unani-
mously reported with a favorable rec
ommendation.
Election Expenses.
Several senators were discussing the
cost Of senatorial elections the other
day, and Senator Hoar of Massachu-
sets was especially severe in his con-
demnation of the alleged large amounts
paid by senators from western states
for their elections when Senator Clark
of Wyoming said: IN tell you what
will do. Senator Hoar. You and l will
make up our list of expenditures at
our last elections, and if my election
cost me more than yours I'll resign
my seat in the senate This state
ment rather staggered the Massachu-
sets senator, who said he would not
do anything that would deprive the
senate of Mr.. Clark's valuable serv-
ices, whereupon the Wyoming senator
showed a receipted bill of expenses
which amounted TO 1919 But then
Wyoming is not like some other states,
Two Months Debate.
l heard a senator fix two months as
the time limit Of the debate on the Phil
ippine tariff bill in the senate. He
wanted long debate, to be sure, be-
cause he was opposed to Cuban reel
procity and thought that the long de-
bate in the senate on insular affairs
would prevent any action regarding
Cuba until after the Cuban government
was formed. by that time" he said,
1--WE will be out of Cuba, and there will
be less demand that we should grant
any favors to the island. I'll tell them
one thing" he continued, land that Is
that If they want the next house to
be Democratic all they will have to
do is to pass this Cuban reciprocity.
The northwestern farmers will take
care Of the rest Of 1t fast enough"