Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-05-11
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When a motion is made and carried
IN the United states senate that the
Senate proceed 80 the consideration OF
executive business" the galleries are
cleared. the doors are closed, and a
| secret session begins. "ENeeutiye bust
| ness is that in which the assent OF
the Senate is necessary to the acts OF
the President, the chief executive, such
as tariffs and nominations to Office. 1t
J has become customary TO call a secret
| session OF the Senate nm executive ses-
sion, Oddly enough all sorts of socie-
| ties ana committees have adopted the
phrase, aud now almost any meeting
behind closed doors Is Incorrectly
called an 'exeentive session" The
Wisdom, OF attempting secrecy III cei-
tain deliberations OF the Senate Is alt
parent. III discussing the htness Of tile
Presidents selections FOR ofice, many
facts can BE brought ont In private
conference which should not be spread
on the records and sent broadcast over
| tie country. senators would not speak
rs freely ms they ought It these were
the conditions. Whatever "ieaks" out
now Is unofficial. but 1t is in the ons
sideration Of treaties that the secret
session Is most necessary. A President
, often has reasons for the adoption of
n certain policy, which would be upset
if all the world knew what these were.
All the sessions of the Senate in the
First Congress we're secret, rs we're
| those Of tile convention which drafted
| the Federal Constitution. Much OF tile
important committee work OF Congress
Is still done behind closed doors.
=:-.-
The first amendment OF the national
Constitution denies to Congress the
| right to abri1ge the privilege OF petf-
tioning tile government for the redress
Of grievances. trhht tile American ltpo-
pie make large use Of the privilege Is
shown by tile oyeraewliig .'petitlUii
box ON the Speakers desk Iii the
House OF representatives, and by the
records Of morning business Iii the SEN
ite, In which body petitions are. ifBfiiil-
~ presented. Congress l~iicliiies to at
taeh less Importance to petitions which
seem to lie '.tnauIiiiie-ina1e" thin to
those which aptiear to lie ffBi,, eitlzens
who of tlielf own motion ask for sUine-
thing. 1t Is notorious that iiiafiy. t5efs
laps. most, men aiid women are Will
Ing to sign almost aiis petition tliat II
presented to them, anu hence 1t II
never certain that n large number Of
the sighers really care anything about
the cause they seem to advocate. Yet
by far tile greater number Df petitions
are tile result OF concerted movement.
Tile leaders or an organization favor
Ing proposed legislation ask each fddge
Or chapter or church or union or local
group to petition for 1t, and usually
Ties. fsesire signatures Hi sss.spp. s.ss.=
Der.
--<
Postmaster General C0fteiyou has
recommended to Congress the adoDti0n
Of the new postal note In dehofiiia:
lions running from l cent to $3.50 as
an afn%pIiication Of the present money
order system. 1t would afford d con.
venient means for transmitting small
Sums OF money through the mali: III Is
proposed that notes or the deBoinifia-
ti6n from ! to 10 be sold at their face
value without n fee. A fee Of j cent
would lie charged for notes from 10 to
40 cents. and 2 cents for notes from
80 cents to $3.50. 10 carry out tile law
IN appropriation Of $4,000 is asked.
The House naval committee favors
tie construction 6f the largest battle
ship In the world, one which, when
arnied and arinored, Will have cost Dis
mitch as S9,0oo,00O 1t will be iii the
neishborhood Of 10000 tons disblaees
ment. Tie present bill Is to carry IN
appropriation Of sG,O00,O00 for the hull
and machinery alone. Other vessels
to be authorized IRE three torpedo
boat destf6yers and Il number Of sub-
marines. Provision Is made for the re.
pair Of the old warship Constitution
as Il show vessel. The naval bill viii
carry d total Of $03,7 10000.
The Bureau Of Labor has been dis
reeted by the President to Investigate
Thoroughly the charges brought BY or
sanized labor that the national eight
hour law is heing violated III many
tases. At the same time tile officers OF
the American Federation Of Labor
have been Urged By the President To
transmit any evidence they may b
oess to Commissioner OF Labor O7NeiIi.
-
It may be true that agnostfcfsfn is
spending In the United states, bat III
Washington It is still the custom To
profess religion. The President, Vice
President and ali of the nine cabinet
councillors are ayowed members of
some denominations. PresbytefIanism
and ifs allied creeds claim the majority
Of those distinguished families.
d.. -@.
Formal greetings were exchanged be-
tween President Roosevelt ana the
Emperor Of China on the occasion OF
| the opening OF the Commercial Pacific
cable office at Shanghai. thus making
/ the first direct cable connection befween
| the United States and Asia. This is
| the last link Of the cable Which rims
| between San Francisco, Honolulu.
| Guam. and Manila. nearly 10000 miles
| Of cable which has been laid at an