The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-06-26

states Senate.)
near in the Congressional Record can
be sent through the mails free of
charge, under the frank of member
of congress. The political managers
have tens of thousands of speeches
printed at the government printing
office, where the rate is merely NOM
inal. The speeches are put up in en-
velopes, singly or by the score, and the
franked signature of some member of
congress is stamped on each envelope
by some employe at political head
quarters. Then other employees ad-
dress the envelopes to the people in
each congressional district; and the
United States mail carries tons of
matter thus at great public expense.
And this custom will continue as long
as the people themselves send to con-
gress men who thus impose upon the
public treasury, by reason of public
credulity.
The constitution devolves upon the
house of representatives the duty OF
raising revenue for the support of
the government, and also requires
that all appropriation bills shall
originate in that body. The senate
may concur or amend all such bills,
but when the original bills are sent
from the house to the senate the real
work of the house, the necessary
work, is completed
While IL is constitutionally neces-
sary for the house of representatives
to remain in session until the senate
shall have completed it's branch of
the work of national legislation, the
members of the house take occasion
to attend to their individual polit-
icaI affairs, hence the needless and
almost endless amount Of campaign
oratory at this season of every cam
paign year.
The senate is deliberate body.
where there is no rule limiting de-
bate. One senator may talk every
day and talk by the hour if he
chooses, while others sometimes
make no speech for year or more.
Usually the speeches which are made
in the senate are intended for his
torical effect, as well as for present
political use.
Visitors listening to debates in
either branch of the congress can see
only the surface of procedure. They
do not realize that back of the Wis
ible senator's and representatives are
the invisible millions of people-the
people to whom the uttered speeches
are to be sent in printed form. But
the men on the floor have in their
mental vision the dear people all of
the time, and when they seem to
be most in earnest they are not eX-
pecting to affect the votes of their
visible colleagues. They are expect
ing to affect the votes of the dear
people at home.
In the senate the real work is done
not in open sessions but in the com
mittee rooms. 1t is time-honored
custom of the senate to always ac
cept the reports of it's committees
and act in accordance with those re
ports. This is practically what is
meant by senatorial courtesy
of which so much is written from
time to time for the daily newspa
pers.
Presiding over the sessions of the
senate at this time, when nationa
legislation is nearing completion, il
Senator William Pierce Frye, o
Maine, who was elected president pre-
tempore by the senate. after Vic'
President Roosevelt acceded to The
presidency. The position of presi
dent pro tempore is permanent one
even when the vice president is living
end actively engaged in the perform
ance of his duties. Very few vic