The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-01-09
What Congress is Expected to
do at This Session.
The Panama Treaty Will Doubtless
Absorb Much Time-Business-like
Session Promised.
PARTY LINES ARE DRAWN

Washington, Jan. 10. The session
of the Congress which will resume
shortly is expected to be An exceeding
ly busy one. The leaders of hotn
House and Senate are determined to
have all the legislation expected by
the country and absolutely necessary
for the good Of the government trans
acted as early as in the year rs pos.
siblo.
Speaker Cannon has said that there
can be an adjournment early in May.
It is hardly possible that this early sd-
journment will be brought about, but
IL is sure that the session will be n
business like one, and that little time
will be wasted IN chasing rainbows or
in discussing measures which took to
heavy expenditures and to the inaugu-
ration of new projects. Conservatism
and economy will marx the session.
The treaty with the new republic of
Panama will absorb much of the time
of the Senate, and will be made the
vehicle for pulling out of the fire
many political chestnuts. The con-
tested election cases and the discus
sion Of proposed tariff measures will b.
used largely in the home for the dis
play of craftsmanship.
The record of the Congress before
the Christmas recess. while not partj-
cularly brilliant is entirely sasisfsc-
tory to the managers and one on
which the dominant party can 60 be-
fore the country.
In the House the pension appropris-
ton bill has been passed, but five
days were spent upon it's oonsidera-
ton this year when ten minutes
sufficed to dispose Of the same bill last
year.
While the record of accomplish
ments is thus small. it yet compares
favcrably with the usual before
Christmas sessions of a new congress.
extra session enabled the organ
ization of House machinery-a process
that usually occupies the time until
Christmas-to be perfected by the be-
ginning of the regular session.
The committees of both houses have
been hard at work. Gen. Wond's
record has been pretty thoroughly in.
vestiga ted by the Senate military com.
mittee: preparations have been made
to investigate Senator Smoot and the
Norman church, and q large number
of more or less important bills have
been reported from committees and
placed upon the calendars Of both
houses, ready for consideration when
Congress reassembles.
The house has divided on party lines
on the discussion OF the post office
scandals, with an additional division
among Republicans occasioned BY the
desire of rival committees to obtain
possession Of the papers bearing on
the recent investigation. As . result,
the post office committee has publish
ed the Bristow. Bonspsrte and Conrad
reports, and the committee on pos
office expenditures is to receive what
is left, unless the postmaster general
should decline to transmit IL on the
ground that the ends of justice might
be thwarted by the step.
Nearly all the election contests have
been set for hearing, and one--the
Dantzler- Lever case-has already been
argued.
The judiciary committee 10 working
on the impeachment charges directed
against Judge CHARLES Swsyne OF
northern Florida, and 10 prepared,
also to look into she status Of the isle
of Pines. o. provided BY the Crum
packer resolution, opening mp another
controversy between house and senate
% 70 the rights Of the latter to aci
without the concurrence Of the former
, in ceding the domain to Cuba.
Incidentally, party lines hive beer
drawn in both houses and preparation
made for the outlining of the issues o.
the political campaign next year. Tit
administration's Panama policy ha
been attacked aud defended in boti
houses, and 1t is pretty certain that /,
will be heard of in the campaign.
Tariff talk has not yet been brought
prominently forward yet. but ii il
expected that more will be heard OF
that So beet later in the session.
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