Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-15
DOINGs IN CONGRESS,

congested sections OF the city.
DOINGS IN CONGRESS.
1t is thought Congress will ad
]ourn before May 1st, probably OF
April 25th.
COCHRAN DRNoUNCEs PRESIDENT
The recent order of the PresiJen
relating to pensions on 62-year-ag,
disability furnished the text for al
impassioned appeal by Congressman
w. Bourke Cochran, of New York
to the members of the House to up
hold the dignity of that body by re
fusing to submit to what he alleged
to be the usurpstion of the legisla
tive authority of Congress by til,
executive order.
If, he said, the Presidents order il
recognized by the House, "wbat frag
ment of power is left to the House?'
BY one stroke of the pen, he declared
the President had appropriated $50
600, 700, and he said it was q matter
with which Congress must deal if il
has any regard for its own powers OF
If it be animated by shadow OF
loyalty for the constitution which
created it.
He vigorously asserted that ave
are here at the parting of the ways
and inquired elf this order be toler-
ated without protest by the House
what power is there that the execu.
tive order connot usurp? What frag-
ment of control over the country's
purse?' Continuing, he said that
"this pretense of Interpretation OF
the law is but hollow mockery and
. play OF words" and he added SIT ia
known by the man who wrote it as
shown by the order ITSELF"
In his opinion the steady decline
in the dignity of the House had at
trscted much attention. In sarcastic
vein he declared that the President
allowed the Congress the privilege of
declaring war, and he was loudly
spplsuded by the Democrats when
be added: "But the President makes
war when he chooses to-"
He declared that the Presidents
order was the usurpstion of power,
"not by appropriation, but by inter
pretstion," which he attributed to
the "pusillanimous failure of Con-
gress to do its duty to itself. Con-
gress had control of the purse and il
it would exercise that control, he in
sisted, every privilege that belonged
to it will come back.
Reverting to the Presidents order
Mr.. Cochran commended that the
Secretary of the Interior justified the
action upon the precedent of Presi-
dent Cleveland. "Well, sir" he said,
pacing up and down the center aisle.
"if that be so, then in Gods name
let US condemn that act of Mr.. Cleye.
lands as vehemently as the act of
any Republican President" The
disposition to justify almost every.
thing by pleading "that Mr.. Cleve-
land did it," he vigorously declared.
"is the highest of compliments that
can be paid to man by any Con-
gress in our political history"
Continuing, he said: "You-tell us
Mr.. Cleveland did it, aud therefore
it must be regular. If this act was
committed by Mr.. Cleveland" be
said, "the confidence which he epioys
adds to its danger and does not lessen
it" He closed amid storm of APP
plause by appealing to both sides of
the House to unite on q declaration
of rights "beyond which the aggres.
sion OF the Senate or of the executive
shall not CO."
The Republicans almost lost con- |
troll of the House on Saturday be- |
cause of the feeling against the exec |
ntive department stirred to a high |
pitch by the rousing speech of Bourke |
Cochran. The Republican majority
was cut down to three, and Speaker |
Cannon himself had to vote to make
one of the three, because no MANY
OF the Republicans deliberately re.
fused to vote and some of them
walked out of the House. If three
Democrats, who were absent. had
voted, they would have caused a tie
and defeated the Republican motion,
made by Mr.. D.lzell. to table Mr.
Cockran's resolution of inquiry, AK
ing tina Attorney. G eperal to report
all the facts about President Roose-
veiti service pension order and
whether or not it was an invasion of
the constitutional rights of the
House. The vote stood lO3 to 100
In favor of Mr.. Dalzell's motion after
Speaker Cannon had voted. The
Republican members who refused to
vote with their party did 30 to rebuke
what they call the arrogant preten-
sions Of the executive department of
the government against the preroga,
tive Of the Congress-. This was
another splendid opportunity the
Democrats had for striking q telling
blow at the Republican majority. /
but like other such opportunities
they failed to take advantage of it
and lost-through absenteeism. The
constituents or these members should
,es that they attend the sessions of
jongress NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Ga
sette.