The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-01-04

vorably impresses with the bill re-
ports it to the House or the Senate, as
the case may be. Generally there is
a want of entire harmony between
the members of the committee as to
the merits of bill, and sometimes
the dissenters make a minority report
in opposition to that of the majority,
which places the issues of the bill
more proximity before the House or
Senate than it would robably be put
by the majority report alone. These
and other duties devolve upon the
committees of Congress, and inter
vene between the introduction of a
bill and its final passage or rejection.
The fate of bill depends to all in
tents and purposes upon the attitude
of the committee toward it. The
body of our federal statutes is con-
stantly growing, and it is often said
that few laws we'll enforced are pref
cradle to plethora of laws which is
disregarded. Twelve thousand five
hundred bills were introduced in Con-
gress during the thirteen days of this
session prior to the holiday recess.
Only fraction of this number will
become law. Representative Brown
low, of Tennessee, holds the records
for this session, having introduced up
to date three hundred and forty seven
bills. During all the sessions of the
fifty eighth Congress there were but
were nine thousand two hundred bills
introduced in both branches of Con-
gress.,
There is a combination of forces at
work at this time, as manifested in
legislative circles here, and in the in
fiuences brought to bear upon Con-
gress, which seeks to develop spirit
of paternalism in governmental af-
fairs. Maneuvers of startling variety,
characterized by subtitle ingenuity,
both concerted and sporadic, are plan
ned and executed against the federal
treasury, with varying, degrees of sue
cess. The plea for civil pension list
has been put forth again this winter.
The persistency of this spectre is
credited by the Discerning to the
source most naturally interested in
a civil pension grant. 1t would APP
pear that no one with modicum of
judgment or sense of equity could de-
tect a grain of justice or right in the
assumption by the government of the
burden of caring for people who have
outgrown their usefulness. The argu-
ment of these advocating this course
proceeds on the hypothesis that the
government is Indicted to it's employees
for the favor they have conferred up
on it by accepting their positions.
AS matter of fact the waiting list
of. the Civil Service Commission i.
constantly increasing. No patriotic
man begrudges soldier his pension
but a civil pension is quite general,
regarded as an abomination, and I
DEGRADING and corrupting institution
Under its regime economy and thu
need of providence are ignored, and ;
puerile and depraving dependency up
on the state for support is engendered
The remuneration of these people i
presumptively in proportion to, o
higher than, that afforded people o
their respective capacities through
private enterprise or employment, o
the individual accepting government
position would probably look else
where for work. The fact that h
lacks self-control and thrift sufficien
to povide for his old age is a. matte
peculiarly within the province of hi
own concern. Some individual with