The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-04-29
CONGRESS CLOSES.
Administration Sharply Criti-
clsed on Expenditures
lLDRICH on USURPIEC OF POWER
Testified TO RooseveIt's Noninterfer-
ence with OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Said President Wanted Country
10 BE Great World Power.

10 BE Great World Power,
WASHINGTON, April 20. With
brief announcement and sharp rap
of his well worked gavel President
Pro TEN Frye adjourned the senate
sine die at , o'clock, the hour fixed by
resolution for the two houses Of con
gress. The work of the session had
been concluded Jefore the final word
was said, so that neither rush nor con
fusion marked the end.
The senate began its days work ear
ly, and the greater part of the time
was devoted to a political debate, par
ticipated in on the Republican side by
MeSsrs. Allison and Aldrich and on
the Democratic side by Messrs. Cor
man and Culberson. The discussion
was based on a statement by Mr.. Ali
son Of the appropriations for the SEES
sion, comparing the figures for this
year and for the administration of
President Roosevelt with those of 9th
er years and other administrations.
Speaking generally, Mr.. Allison said
the appropriations were in the main
for the conduct of the government and
he expressed the opinion that they
would not be criticised. He also re-
ferred to obligations assumed and said
those Of this year are less than for
many years previous.
MIR. Culberson presented a review
of appropriations for the past twelve
years, covering the last administration
of Mr.. Cleveland and the Mckinley
and Roosevelt administrations. He
said the total expenditures under the
Roosevelt administration had been So
$40. 900 geo. or $2l1.0OO.0 600 greater than
the four years Of the Mckinley admin
istration and $3.50, 100000 greater than
in the four years Of the Cleveland ad-
ministratiOn.
Replying to Mr. Allison, Mr.. German
/ placed the total appropriations of this
session at $751;. 100000 and the obliga-
tions incurred at over $24,00O,000, or
more than $SO0,0O0,000 all told, not in
Guiding the appropriation for the Pan
anna canal. He. said the figures were
amazing and predicted that 1t would
be impossible TO continue expenditures
at this rate without increasing taxes,
He attributed the rapid increase to the
ambition of the president TO make OF
the United States 20 great world pow
err" and said that we had reaped no
harvest except the loss OF life and de
moralization in every branch OF the
| governmental service.
Discussing the question Of presidents
usurping the powers of congress which
had been raised by Mr.. German, Mr.,
! Aldrich said:
II have been a member Of this body
for twenty-four years, a large part OF
the time with the senator from Mary
land. | have served with five or six
different presidents, including Demo
cratic president for two terms, and |
have never known president OF the
United States. not excepting Mr.. Cleve-
land. who has interfered less with the
legislative business of congress or with
the action of the house or the senate
than the present incumbent Of that Of
fee.
Il know Of no case where he has
undertaken to dictate what our policy
or what our legislation should be, and
| cannot say that of another president
within my recollection. This talk about
the usurpations OF the president and
his attempts to control legislation OF
the congress is nonsense, and nobody
knows il better than does the senator
from Maryland"
The president and his cabinet occu
pied the presidents capitol office room
during part Of the debate, and some
of the presidents advisers We're among
the most interested listeners to the
criticism and defense of their chief
Mrs Roosevelt and other members OF
the presidents family occupied seat'
in the gallery toward the close of thu
session and they, too, found entertain
ment in the proceedings.
The only important acts of legisla
ton during the day We're the presenta
ton and acceptance of conference re
ports ON the Panama canal govern
ment and emergency river and harbo