The San Francisco call., 1904-04-19

no very exciting incidents to mark Its
months OF labor, 1t is preparing the
way for a sharp contrast in the short
session next to follow. There will be
the impeachment proceedings of Judge
Swayne, the Smoot case and possibly
that of Senator Burton that go over
to that time. They will all afford
plenty of opportunity for controversy,
and might in themselves easily occupy
all the time allotted The Swayne case
has split the House Judiciary Com
mittee into two factions where feeling
runs high. The minority and majority
which is liable to reverse it's position.
the minority becoming the majority in
reality. if not by signature of the re-
ports-are committed to radical views
for and against, and these will each
| find followers on the floor, the major
| ity, for impeachment, being reinforced
| by the Southern Democrats. Action
| will have to be taken on the Smoot
case, which will develop an interesting
debate. no doubt. AS for the case of
Burton, the Senate will doubtless con-
slider, whatever the action taken, that
| the least said the better Whether
there will be any attempt at a revision
of the tariff next winter will depend on
the elections and the sentiment there
developed. With the appropriation
bills and the other regular business OF
the session Congress has enough to
employ it night and day to the 4th of
March
The date of adjournment draws near
er day by day by a double process, the
passing OF the days and the abbrevia-
tion of the session by the leaders A
Short time ago the middle of May was
looked upon as an early adjournment
possibility. Now the 23d to the 2Sth Of
April is talked of. AS the life of the
session runs out interest increases in
the work that remains to be done
how much of it will be accomplished,
what part of it wifi be lost in the
crush. Many Californian measures are
in the balance, still with a good fight
ing chance.
CANTEEN MEASURE.
Some of those for which independent
measures have failed will get through
in the late appropriation bills. One of
these, tSSt does not carry an appro-
priation,V ,Vbut which is of interest to
every State having a soldiers home, is
that of Bell, known as the anti-can-
teen provision in the sundry civil bill.
Bell made a strong fight on the floor
of the House for this amendment and
painted such a picture of the situa-
tion at the Yountville Soldiers Home
that he drew some unfiattering remarks
from several members concerning the
State that would tolerate such condi-
tions, and so he had to fight to sustain
the reputation of his State while de-
nouncing the conduct of one of it's in
stitutions. He made such an impress
sion that he carried through law
based upon a solitary instance that
will radically affect every State sol
diers home in the country. At Yount-
vile he said every soldier inmate draw
ing a pension was compelled to give
up the pension to- the managers of the
home, he being given in lieu checks
upon the canteen. He showed how this
created a monopoly for the canteen in
the trade of the soldiers to the limit
of their pension and invited them to
spend the whole sum for liquor with
result that was unnecessary to state.
The amendment adopted at his in
stance to the bill requires the managers
of any State soldiers home, as an in
cident to secure Federal aid, to sub
scribe to the provision of the law gov
erning the home in Washington, D. c.,
with this regard. Under this, the man
ayers of the home take charge of the
pension, but hold it for the benefit of
the dependents of the soldier as he may
designate, the soldier to receive per
cent for his own use. The bill provides
$4,000 for the Veterans Home at
Yountville, contingent upon the accept
ance of this provision. Since the intro
duction of the amendment by Bell let
ters and kilograms of protest have
come to members Of the delegation
from officers of the Yountville home,
but there has been a notable absence
of such protest from any other home in
the country. And so the amendment
was allowed to pass without objection
in the Senate committee
BIG TREES BILL.
One Californian measure of which