Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-16

ments for new buildings, stored up pc.
titions and information and got his
decks in shape for business at this SEES
sion. A bill will be reported at this
session and it will pass in some form:
that is conceded. 1t is the regular
turn for the public buildings meas
ure to occupy the boards.
Three Wanted in Iowa.
Up to date three bills have been in
|troduced into the House providing for
appropriations for public buildings
in Iowa; one for Boone, one for Water
loo and one for Des Moines. The two
first named call for 100000 each, that
of Des Moines requiring cool mil
lion dollars. The session is young, as
yet, and other districts yet to be
heard from may augment the list, al
though in this particular game the
saying 'the more the merrier" will not
apply with the force that sometimes
accompanies it, Then there may be
few items tackled on in the senate
The senate may not originate bills in
volving the expenditure of public mon
ey, but there is no one to say the de
| Lucrative body" nay when it comes to
dealing with such bills coming to it
! from the house. Then the aforesaid
bill is loaded up in manner that
practically prevents recognition on the
part of it's authors. The Senate is
absolutely reckless in that regard 1t
! is restrained by no rules or limitations
and House bills are weighed down
with riders" of every conceivable ma
ture. They are tackled on under the
guise CT amendments" becoming a
part of the bill which the House must
respect and give good heed to, else
there will be trouble in conference.
! However, the leaders on either side
of the Capitol understand one another
well. and there is oftentimes carefully
studied method in the madness of the
Senate along this line.
With Judge Conner on the commit
tee of public buildings and grounds,
and practically in charge of the inter
ests of Iowa in the subcommittee, it
would appear that Iowa will not fare
badly at the hands of the committee
when bill is reported. nor with the
House when the pie is being passed.
Hawkeye State Liable to Be Lucky.
If there shall be no further de-
mands on the part of Iowa cities for
government buildings at this session.
it would not seem improbable that all
the bills now introduced will carry.
and the cold cash await the orders of
the legally authorized officers in
charge of operations by next fall.
That seems to be the feeling at this
time, and Judge Conner is hopeful of
being able to handle the situation so
that all parties shall be satisfied.
Mighty Uncertain, However.
However, things are mighty uncer-
tain in congress, as witness the river
and harbors bill of last session, a mea-
sure that had passed the house, was
awaiting action of the senate which
body stood ready and eager to ratify
yet which was defeated by one sena-
tor who for reasons never fully set
tied, had it Gin" for the bill and kill
ed it with his lungs. In the house
Senator Carter would have been
brought up with round turn by the
rules, and if there had been no rule
applicable to his case, one would have
been constructed to his measure with
in fifteen minutes. But in the senate
there are no rules; only the unwrit
ten rule of senatorial courtesy. which
says that when a senator is speaking
upon public question he may not be
deprived of the floor except at his
pleasure. So the senate sat, while fif-
ty senators swore until the electric
lights burned dim, and Senator Carter
talked and the bill died.
Diplomatic Triumph.
Not many years ago tragedy" of
similar import was enacted in the
house The bill under consideration
was the public building and grounds
report. The bill had been arranged
in manner that placed it absolutely
above criticism, from the standpoint
of the committee. Every man on the
committee had just what he wanted
The members of the committee were
so situated geographically that every
section of the country was covered
and the interests such as to ensure the
passage Of the BILL hands down. II
was what some people would term q
: "cinch."
How 1t Was Worked.
There was a great long string OF
buildings; appropriations of from
100000 TO a half million dollars fol
buildings in towns unknown, and the
program was called Off 1t had been
arranged that debate be limited to five
hours. There would be but perfume
tory opposition to any of the bills;
why wear themselves out in debate. Sc
thought some of the members of the
committee. There must have been s
hundred and fifty buildings provided
for in the bill The reading clerk
droned away on item number one
There was a little questioning here
and there, and the item was passed
The reading clerk went on to number
two. 1t was passed in about the same
length of time. Members of the com
mittee consulted watches and founC
that two items had been passed in {
trifle over two minutes. The machin
cry was working perfectly; there
would be no hitch, and they rubbed
their hands in glee.
! The pace continued until something
! like twenty-five items, representing a
I may buildings, had been passed, thel
a snag was struck. Something hap
pened. A new member came into thu
4 chamber, sat down, listened few sec
onds, then arose and made an inquiry