The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-03
Struggle Seems to Be Impending Be
tween the Upper and Lower
Houses Of Congress.
senate's Method of Handling Appro-
priation Bills to Be the Point
of Attack.
Refusal Of the House to Adjourn
Extra Session First Move in
the Campaign.
New York Sun Special Service.

New York Sun Special Service.
Chicago, Dec. 3.->-Walter Welhnan,
in a Washington special to the Record
Herald, says:
The real significance of the war that
is on between the house of represen-
tatives and the senate is only now be-
coming generally understood in this
city. Under the leadership of Speak
the senate to revise its rules and re-
form it's methods. The leaders of the
senate resent the plans of the lower
branch, and many bitter words are
spoken on both sides, in part in pub
lie and more particularly in private.
So much feeling has been reused on
both sides that tits expected the con-
test will develop acrimonious features
and continue thruout the winter with
out decisive result.
The grievance Of the house against
the senate is that the senate delib-
erately holds up appropriation bills
till the closing days of session of
congress, and then, using the lack OF
time for careful consideration and for
adjustment of differences as Its
weapon, forces the house to accept
appropriations which that body would
defeat under circumstances more
favorable to painstaking legislation.
An example often quoted by members
of the house is the success of Senator
| Tillman in the closing days of the
recent congress, when by threatening
| to hold the floor in a speech of in
definite length, he gave not only the
senate but the entire congress the OPP
| ton of putting an Objectionable and
| unworthy, item of $4,000 in the sun
dry civil bill or of witnessing the de-
feat of that bill and of the naval bill
as we'll.
To save an extra session Of con-
gress the senate yielded to Tillman's
| md for The reason the
house of representatives surrendered
| to the senate and permitted the item
| to stand.
Demands Reform in Rules.
! When Mr.. Cannon was elected
| speaker he resolved to do all in his
power to force the senate to reform
| it's rules. That is the real meaning
of the decision of the house to remain
in session even tho nothing can be ac-
] cordial support of the house and his
plan is to emphasize to the country
4 the absurditys and the unfairness of the
isenatess methods. BY keeping the
house in session the speaker and his
4 lieutenants hope to afford the people
i an object lesson in the failure of the
4 senate's methods to meet the srespons-
8 ibility of that branch of the lawmak-
I ing body in carrying on the business
Of the government. They believe that
| persistence In all possible devices CIldt
: showing up the ridiculous methods OF
the senate, It's impotency to act in the
face of opposition from a petty group
of senator's in the minority, it's long
and apparently wholly useless delays,
will in the end rouse public sentiment
against the upper branch and in favor
of the contention of the house that re-
form is imperatively necessary
A Settled Policy.
This is no sudden freak on the part
Of Mr.. Cannon. 1t is policy delib-
erately formulated and which will be
resolutely persisted in. Speaker Can
non and his lieutenants declare that
the senate has no right to continue its
Epresent rules and practices SO far as
appropriation bills are concerned
They grant the right of the senate to
|, maintain any system of rules and pro-
: cedure it wishes as to other legislation
Their grievance relates solely to the
: disposition of the great appropriation
bills.
Speaker Cannon maintains that the
method which the senate almost al
| ways follows, that of delaying dis
position Of these measures till the clos
J ing hours of a session, and then ram
E ming undesirable legislation down the
throats Of the lower branch, is not
only unfair to the house, but bad for
the government. He has set up lone
t campaign to secure reform Of these
measures and during the coming win
ter there is sure to be a bitter strug-
) gle between the two branches.