Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-25
Congressman John Sharp Will
lims Has Bill Providing
For New Departure
WOULD ADD TO ITS DIGNITY
Time of Meeting Would be Changed
and Each Congress Would be Com
posed of One Session, Instead of the
Long an Short Sessions as Now in
Force Advantages.


of fixing u different date for the as
semblng OF congress-one that has
teen brought up In congress at long
intervals-will be vigorously urged
from now on by Representative John
Sharp Williams, Of Mississippi, the
MINORITY leader in the house. He is
not alone in this effort. One of the
strongest advocates of such a change
Is Representative Bourke Cochran, of
New York, who was prominently iden-
titled with the movement to effect such
change during the famous Fifty
second congress, when Bryan. De Ar
mond Bushnell, Mallory, Springer,
Lodge and Hoar favored a constitu-
tional amendment to change the date
of meeting.
Representative Williams started his
movement last week by introducing
four-lne bill providing that after
March 6, next, congress shall assemble
OH the first Monday after March each
year. This bill is strongly favored by
MIR. Cochran, who says the measure
will carry great weight because it is
urged by Mr.. Williams.
This is an important step" said
Mr.. Cochran. sin the direction of re-
storing tho house to the plane Of dig
nifty and efficiency which the fore
fathers had in mind when they framed
the constitution. Under the law the
house Is today organized for ineffi-
cheney. Under the rules and in the
chamber 1t Is organized for disorder
IT these can be changed the house Will
become the most imposing legislative
body in the world"
Mr.. Williams Purpose.
THE main reason why 1 introduced
this bill" said Mr.. Williams, lis to
make more nearly coincidental the
coming into office Of the president of
the United States and the representa-
tlVes OF the people in congress. The
next object is to let men come into
the house more nearly fresh from the
people under circumstances affording
less opportunity for tampering with
them by special interests - to have
men enter the popular branch Of con-
gress with the mandate of the people
still ringing in their ears. Such leg
tom Of long and short sessions of con-
gress and make one term as long as
another, If necessary, in order that
congress may transact properly the
public business of the country. The
short session is now so brief that even
regular appropriation bills are passed
in a hurried and half considered way
and nearly all other legislation must
be enacted by unanimous consent or
not at all.
Such a change in the meeting of
congress would do away with the ana
cronism of representative bodies hold
ing over and legislating after from one
third to one-half of those who hold
over have failed of reelection and
some of them have therefore ceased to
have their conduct and votes regulate
ed by sense Of responsibility to their
constituents"
Men of Both Parties Favor.
A number of democrats and republic
cans in congress favor the proposition
and the bill is now under considera-
ton by the house committee on judi
ciary, which is granting hearings to
members Of congress on the subject.
Those who have looked into the ques-
ton find many reasons for favoring
such a change. The house chosen In
November does not begin It's work for
thirteen months after it's selection, al
tho it's members who do not die be-
fore the meeting Of congress draw
their salaries from the March next
succeeding their election. For nine
months there is no speaker. Before
it's members have served a full term
their successors are chosen.
The termination Of the second or
short session at IL o'clock on March 4
often prevents the passage Of impor-
tant measures, either from lack Of time
as in the case of the deficiency bill in
the second session Of the Forty-ninth
congress, or because the president has
not had an opportunity to examine
measures, as happened with the river
and harbor bill at the close of the same
session. 1t is believed by many that '