The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-12-08

senate resent the plans of the lower
branch, and many bitter words are
spoken on both sides, in part in public
and more particularly in private. SO
much feeling has been reused on both
sides that it is expected the contest
will develop acrimonious features and
continue throughout the winter with
out decisive result.
The grievance of the house against
the senate is that the senate dellber-
ately holds up appropriation bills till
the closing days of a session of con-
cross and then, using the lack of time
for careful consideration and for ad-
iustment Of differences as it's weapon
forces the house to accept apprOpria-
tons which that body would defeat
under circumstances more favorable
to painstaking legislation. An exam
pie often quoted by members Of the
house is the success Of Senator Till
man in the closing days Of the recent
congress, when by threatening to hold
the floor in speech Of indefinite
length, he gave not only the senate
but the entire congress the option OF
putting an Objectionable and unworthy
item of $4,000 in the sundry civil bill
or of witnessing the defeat OF that bill
and of the naval bill as we'll.
To save an extra session Of con-
gress the senate yielded to Tillmans
hold up and for the same 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 though nothing can be
accomplished. Mr.. Cannon has the
cordial support of the house and his
the absurdity and the unfairness of
the Senate'S methods. BY keeping the
house in session the speaker and his
leutenants hope to afford the people
an object lesson in the failure of the
senate's methods to meet the respOn-
sibility of that branch of the laWmak-
ing body in carrying on the business
Of the government. They believe that
persistence in all possible devices that
show up the ridiculous methods of the
senate, it's impotency to act in the
face of opposition from a petty group
of senators in the minority, its long
and apparently wholly useless delays,
will in the end rouse public sentiment
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 a policy DELHI
erately formulated and which Will be
resolutely persisted in. Speaker Can
non and his leutenants declare that
the senate has no right to continue its
present rules ana pfacuceS so lar 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 legisla-
ton. Their grievance relates solely
to the disposition of the great appro-
priation bills.
Speaker Cannon maintains that the
method which the senate almost al
ways follows, that of delaying dis
position of these measures till the clo-
sing hours of a session, and then
ramming undesirable legislation down
the threats of the lower branch, is not
only unfair to the house, but bad for
the government. He has set up a long
campaign to secure reform of these
measures and during the coming VIM
ter there is sure to be bitter struggle
between the two branches