The Grit-advocate., 1905-03-03
Washington Letter.


three months work in ten days, or at
least that it is impossible to do it well,
and the concluding days of a short
session are always characterized by
pitch fork legislation. Appropriation
bills involving millions OF dollars must
be passed and much important legis-
lation involving long delayed reforms
and improvements in the various de-
| partments of government will again
be deferred as they have often been
deferred before to the more conven-
lent season that never comes. The
naval appropriation bill of S99,9l4 ,35900
looks As much like hundred million
dollars as a ninety-eight cent shirt
looks like a dollar shirt. This bill
makes provisions for two new big bat
tie ships, each Of them costing more
than the congressional library and the
United States capitol. Nevertheless
we must have them, and that the coun-
try prett, generally wants them was
evinced by the fact that about forty
democrats voted IN favor of them.
The American navy is growing more
rapidly than any other navy except
England's and it is evident that our
Legislators do not intend that we shall
be caught mapping as was Russia by
Japan about one year ago.
In the debate on these ships it ap-
81 #
favored only one battle ship. Mr..
Rixey, of Virginia, did not want any
on the ground that we did not have
officers enough to man them. Mr..
Maddox, of Georgia, wanted the Unit
ed States to be first among the navies
of the world and he for one was not
disposed to haggle over two ships but
wanted the number increased to ten.
Mr.. Kitchen, of North Carolina, IA
nous for his eXcerps from all the books
and speeches of Theo dore Roosevelt
which was used so ineffectively against
the president IN the late campaign,
wanted the money diverted from the
ships to public buildings and school
teachers. The president is much
pleased with that portion of the bill
appropriating for two large battle
ships and exchanged congratulations
with members of the naval committee
who called at the white house. Rep
reSentativc Sulzer, of New York, Il
democrat, was enthusiastic for the
bill. Il am" he said, with the
president every time he is with the
American people, and may add that
just now he is with the American peo-
pie to q greater extent than any other
president has been since the days of
A Abraham Lincoln. The passage of
the naval bill with the provision for
two battle ships could not have been
accomplished without the help of the
democrats. We stood by the president
and he appreciates it, Senator Spoon
er predicts hot fight of some sort
over the na ;al bill before it passes the
senate.
In the last thirty-three years the
only work in this country that has not
had an advance in wages is the job
held down by the president. This
may be criticized as an undignitied
manner of defining the emolument re-
ceived by the chief executive for his
services to the country, but the fact
remains. The president Of the United
States has salary of $4,000 90, and
faith he earns it, and double the
Canaua receives as much and the rul-
ers of European countries receive from
five to twelve times that amount.
President Grant, at the expiration Of
his second term had his salary doubled
by congress and the time is ripe now
for a similar increase for President
Roosevelt. Congress has had in mind
for number of years the increase of
the presidents salary, but congress 5
Il ponderous body that moves slowly
but when started goes with force in
direct ratio to its weight. 1t has Civ
en- enough time to thought about the
bestowing of a larger salary on the
president, now let it act. The country
is with it.
The constitution prohibits any in
crease Of the presidents salary during
tn. period for which he shall have
been elected, so that unless congress
should in the next nine days pass eth
er the Stewart or Maynard bills, both
looking toward that object, the benefit
of an increase would not fall to Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Therefore prompt
action is required if the tifty-cighth
congre SIS would have the credit Of this
act Of ustice to the man who was over
ILL, lau nli L.n al.l