Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-09
MANY MINOR
MEASURES
IMPORTANT BILLS IN PRESENT
CONGRESS WILL BE
FEW.
TINE WILL BE OCCUPIED.
Though the Transactions Will Not Be
of World Wide Significance, After
the Canal Bill Is Settled, There VII,
Be Hundreds of Smaller. Matters.

Be Hundreds of Smaller. Matters.
(BY H. j. MAHIN.)
Washington Bureau of the Courier.
Washington. D. c., Jan. 6.
Congress has become well settled in
to place this week and although there
VIII be continuous session now for full
ly five months or more there appears
to be very little to do outside Of the
big appropriation bills.
IL the Panama treaty was ratified
and General Wood confirmed as both
measures undoubtedly will be in due
time congress might as well quit-of
course after deciding whether Senate
Smoot is to be allowed to stay or not
One is led to wonder naturally what
the representatives and senator's are
going to do with their time there being
no more big measures to demand atten-
ton. This, however, is looking at mat
tiers with large ideas. Anybody who
drops into the capitol from now until
June will find as much evidence Of hus-
tie and business as if a measure of
world wide Importance was being con-
sidered. The little measures are ap-
pearing in. droves. There are thous-
ands of them and their advocates are
jostling each other to take advantage
of the temporary lull in great affairs.
Many of these bills will notabe consid-
cred of enough Importance to get even
a paragraph in a newspaper Others
may get a few lines and then very like
ly will never be heard of again but the
scramble is going to be lively one.
The relative Importance of various
events or movements is, of course, all
matter of comparison and it is so in
the capitol at Washington as well as
any other place. If congress is not
wrangling over an event of world wide
Importance like the digging of an inter
oceanic canal it can become just as
much excited over bill which is to de-
eide whether a substitute for butter is
to be colored yellow or pink. Thous-
ands of these bills are lying around in
vest pockets or pigeon holes, some
have been introduced many times in
caused ripple. Others are new ideas,
and they will all be pushed forth with
a desperate attempt to bring them u 10
/ the lime light.
When one considers that 10000 aiss
more bills are introduced in every CON-
gress there is naturally wonder as to
what they may all be for. The large
majority are of course bills Of a pri
vate nature, demage claims and pen
sions The latter constitute a seem
| ingly never ending stream and hun
dreds of them are put in without any
thought of ever securing the pension.
Many congressman make practice of
| introducing pension bill for anybody
who asks 1t though they we'll know
that it will be impossible for them to
secure it's passage. They wish to ap.
pear before their constituents as being
ready to do anything they can for
them. Major Lacey, who has always
been scrupulously conscientious about
/ his duties as a congressman, has made
it rule to decline to introduce pen
sion bill unless he feels some hope Of
being able to secure its passage.
81 do not think it is right" he said
in speaking of the matter the >other
day." to arouse false hope in the hearts
of anyone wishing a pension by pre-
senting bill for them in a hopeless
cause. OF course 1t is very easy to
4 present the bill and have it placed on
file. Anything on earth can be incor-
porated in bill and offered to con-
gress but the question is Of course to
secure its passage. Under the pension
laws soldiers widow is entitled to So
per month unless she is a helpless in,
valid and in that case she can get ST.
a month. Now unless the woman's
husband was a most distinguished
! man. a famous general or a man who
had accomplished some unusual ser
vice, it is absolutely impossible to Sc.
cure a larger sum and yet dozens OF
bills are being presented here every
day for soldiers widows asking for
s25, $50, $75 and even $100 month.
,, The men who present them know that
: they cannot get them passed and, In
q most instances never even have the
nerve to attempt to get them out oil
!, the committee
: This matter came up the other day
!. when Senator Dolliver set out to Sc.
> cure a pension for Mrs. Root, the wife
: of Col. Richard Root, formerly Of Keo
kuk. Though Senator Dolliver secured
! the payment of all of Col. Roots funer.
: al expenses and was ready and willing
; to do anything he could for his widow
: he refused to introduce special bill
! Through his aid, however, Mrs. Root
= promptly secured a pension of So pei
month.
When 1t is considered that there art
, over 100000 soldiers widows inN the
:, = country and that thousands Of special
= bills are introduced every congress II
= cannot be wondered that both the
;, house and the senate have absolutely
!, refused to consider them unless under
e e most extraordinary circumstances.
e Cuban Lottery Bill Vetoed.
IS Havana, Jan. President Palm;
s vetoed the lottery bill yesterday. H
: holds that a lottery is lowering ant
corrupting, and that the goyernmen
would be culpable in taking money OBJ
tanned through such a scheme.
IS 80 -