The Washington times., 1904-03-01
HOUSE REPUBLICANS
WILL PLAY POLITICS
Must Pass Many Bills for Political Effect During Present
Session Which May BE Killed in Senate.

With only three months of the long
session OF Congress passed, the legis-
latOrs are at this cary date looking for
ward and tentatively fixing a day for
adjournment. No one in a position to
express a reasonable opinion believes
that Congress VIII be in session on Juno
1. and there are a few who fix the termi-
nation Of the present session as early
as the middle Of April.
The consensus of opinion is that May
IS or 10 is more nearly correct Even
two months more would doubtless be
amply sufficient 10 wind up business n
the House. under the program which the
leaders of that body have laid out. which
Is TO do nothing much, except pass the
regular supply bills. Half Of these have
already been disposed or and sent over
TO the Senate. which body has itself
acted upon some Of them. The House
has passed the urgent deficiency bill. the
agricultural appropriation bill, the army
bill. tho naval bill. the fortihcations bill
the legislative bill. and will either today
or tomorrow pass the District of Co
lumbia appropriation bill.
In Rapid Succession.
The end of this week will see the In
dian appropriation bill out OF the way.
for IL has already been reported and is
ready TO be taken up as soon as the
District measure is disposed of. Then
will follow the postofice appropriation
bill, and after that the sundry civil ap-
preparation bill. These passed, there
will remain to be considered none Of the
big supply measures except the gen
eral deficiency bill. There promises 10
be some little interest IN the Indian bill.
1. II. H.
time TO pass the postofice bill and the
sundry civil bill. but when they are sent
to the Senate the routine OF the House
work will be over.
While the Senate - considering these
bills, the House will devote its attention
to several legislative measures. Chief
among these will be the Gardner BILL
which creates a commission TO Inquire
into the condition OF the merchant ma
rine and means for its development; the
bill combining the Indian Territory and
Oklahoma and their admission as one
State, after the Indian lands have been
allotted under the Dawes commission;
the eight-hour labor bill: the Hepburn
Dolliver bill. giving police jurisdiction 20
liquor shipped i'm original packages, and
the service pension bill.
For Political Effect.
1t is on the program 10 have all OF
these bills pass the House for the pur-
pose, largely, of the political effect
which they will produce, but they will
not. i'm all proba bility. be acted upon by
the Senate until next session. after the
national election has been held. The
party I'm power can go before the coun-
try and show that these measures, for
which there is popular demand. have
been passed by the House. thus showing
good faith and promise that the Senate
will enact them at the short session. 1t
Is quite probable also that the Gros-
venor bill. limiting the meaning Of the
word conspiracy and the use Of in
junction in certain cases may also be
reported by the Committee on the Ju-
dietary. as it is strongly urged by the
labor organizations, but action upon 1t In
the House is extremely doubtful
II the eight-hOur bill goes through
the House as speedily this session as it
did I'm the last Congress. there viii be
no time wasted in its consideration. so
that the session Is not likely TO be pro-
longed by the consideration Of any Of
these bills. Political debate for cam
paign purposes has been tagging for
some weeks. the members who have
been anxious to talk TO make campaign
material have had their say. and are in
most instances talked out" AS a mat
ter of fact political talk has aroused
less interest this session than ever be-
fore preceding a national campaign,
and this has been conspicuousIy the
case with the Republicans.
They are strictly adhering to the