Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-10
THE SPIRIT THAT PERMEATEs
CONGRESS FOR THE REGULAR
SESSION.
CAMPAIGN SPEECHES.
With a Presidential Election in the
Near Future Little Important Leeis-
iation is Expected Though Many Adj
dresses Will No Doubt Be Made.
[BY H. ]. MAEIN.l
Washington Bureau of the Courier.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 8.

HdStlhlStoHy -. VI, OeC. 8.
An intention to get down to business
was evident in every action OF the
house and senate yesterday when they
met in the first regular session of the
congress.
Get down to business" might be
questioned as the proper term on the
other hand because while congress
will give all appearances of being very
busy from now on it is not likely that
very much important legislation will
be enacted With a national election
coming next year both parties will be
very careful about any radical action.
There will be great deal of speech
making; in other words lot of cam
paigning will be done in the halls of
congress this winter There will be
no tariff legislation and while the
trusts will probably get some atten-
ton there is little likelihood of any
new laws on that question being
passed.
Routine Work Safe.
A great deal of routine work and
many small measures will be taken
care of in between the speech making.
Congress will not waste its time by
any means. In fact many of the
smaller measures that have been
crowded out in former sessions will
have a good show this winter and as
each one of them is of considerable
Importance to comparatively large
number of people considerable salts
factory action may be taken in the ag-
gregate.
Cuba and the Canal.
The two big measures occupying
foremost consideration at present are
the Cuban treaty and the Panama ca
nal.
1t looks now as though the canal
matter might keep up its record for
rapidity and get to and through the
senate before the Cuban bill. The
President has signified his intention
of sending the Panama canal treaty to
the senate tomorrow and while this
action will call forth many warm
speeches attacking the President and
the administration on their policy in
Central America the treaty will I'M
doubtedly not meet any serious oppo-
sition and will be promptly ratified.
1t is generally understood that the
people of the United States want the
canal and while the democrats will not
lose any little chance given them for
criticism and fault finding in the nego
tiations they will not run the risk OF
putting anything in the way OF speedy
realization of the desire the United
States people have had for many years
to dig the waterway through the 18th
mus.
Reyes At Washington.
That the administration has no in
tention of retreating from the position
it has taken on canal matters has beer
shown by the treatment in Washington
of General Reyes, the Colombian en-
WOW. General Reyes, by the way, is no
a character that would be likely to pu
confidence into Colombia's cause
While a thoroughly good natured mai
he does not look like the future heat
of the republic Git is said he will sue
coed President Marroquin, Of ColoA
bal He is a very large man AM
very foreign in appearance. He talk
brokenly and is not overly clean. HI
seems sadly out of place in diplomatic
circles. When he first cameto Wash
ington a group of newspaper men me
him on the train and got him to tall
before he had seen DR.. Herran, the CO
Iombian minister here. He talke'
very fiercely, said much about an arm.
of 100000 men that would marc
against Panama and retake it. n
seemed to have an idea that he coul
force the United States to take anotf
er attitude A few days in Washingto
has changed him very much and it
now said that he is beginning to Sc
that the best thing he can do is to a.
sist the United States in its desire t
| see the Colombia-P Panama differenc
| amicably settled and to see that Pal
ANA assumes fair share of the c.
lombian national debt.
/ Woods Confirmation.
{ 1t is almost proper to class the col
troyersy over the appointment OF Gel
eral Leonard Wood with these tw
matters as being of initial important
J with congress. This matter has a
sumed menacing political turn. 1t
;. declared to be one OF the CHER caus
which brought about break betwee
Senator Hanna and President Roos
Welt. Mr.. Hanna, who is backing M
ior Rathbone, is doing all he can to 81
4 that General Wood is not contirme
Senator Foraker is lined UP in Wood
(. defense, and, of course, the Presidel
stands in the background as Wood
firm friend. The fight continual
r grows more bitter and while it is ge
$ orally conceded that General Wood
i nomination will be confirmed, son
e bad feeling is going to come out
the matter. y
Webster county farmers continue
1@-... +l,1,;,. hacrc, h1r III % hum red in