Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-27
The Rules Under Which the Two
Bodies Work Make the senate's Ac-
tions Seem Slower, But Makes
Clearer sIaiins in Finishing Lesisla-
ton at End Of Session.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE

PcSSSu Uut OuS Dlll VI upOltduCo luoiO
than the senate, and if consideration
Of the Santo Domingo treaty, which
has to all intents and purposes been
disposed of, counts for one, then the
two houses are on an equal footing in
the matter Of business transacted.
The house has passed the urgent de-
f1ciency bill, the Philippine bill, the
railroad rate bill. the statehood bill
The senate has passed the urgent de-
ficiency bill, the ship subsidy bill the
pure food bill and the Santo Domingo
treaty is believed to be dead.
The house still has the pure food
and ship subsidy bills and appropria-
ton bills on its slate. The senate has
the statehood, Philippine and railroad
bills, In addition to the appropriation
bills, yet to dispose of.
1t should be remembered that the
house has its own peculiar methods.
which are not entirely free from crit
icism. The senate does It's work in its
own way, which a good many people
believe might be improved.
Methods Are Different.
Obviously it was not the intention
Of the fathers who framed the Con-
stitution and set the senate over
against the house In the dual legislat-
i've function, that these two branches
should work on the same lines and fol-
low in the same groove. 1t was b wise
provision that two branches shosea In
dependently handle legislative mat
- &c., and chat each should Spursue its
own system of dealing with the Ques-
tions before congress In a sense each
is law to itself yet both are held
to common rules and are dependent
on each other. Each is a check on the
other, therefore all legislation is a
compromise A bill is introduced into
the house and it follows a certain fixed
path to final passage. A bill is pre-
sented in the senate and follows a
somewhat different course up to the
moment Of passage. Thus far each
house has acted independently. II the
bills are identical nothing remains to
be done except for the president Of the
senate, the speaker OF the house and
the President of the United States to
sign the bill and 1t becomes a part Of
the organic law of the country. II
the bills differ, slightly or greatly a
conference composed Of three mem
time an effort is made to harmonic
the differences. II the conference sue
ceeds, each house is officially inform
ed of the agreement on the part of the
ccnferees and If the agreement Is rati-
fed, as 1t practically always is, then
the same end has been accomplished
as If each house had originally passed
the same bill.
The Two Plans.
Under the peculiar rules OF the
house, a bill may be taken up and dis
cussed a stated period which has been
fixed In advance, then vote on the
proposition Is taken at the date named
and the bill is passed or defeated.
Here the majority rules because the
majority has voted for the rule that
upon certain day the vote should be
taken In the senate there are no
rule-at least at all times-and there
can be no vote taken until every SEN
ator has consented. Everything pro-
ceeds by unanimous consent. AS long
as any senator desires to discuss any
matter he cannot be headed off. When,
by unanimous consent date for vot-
ing has been fixed then that rule goes
into effect just as it does in the house
and on the final vote on the bill the
majority determine the fate of the
proposition.
No Rushing Senate Bills.
The difference in methods Of the
senate and house is briefly stated sim
ply for the purpose of making it clear
how it is comparatively easy for the
house to rush bills through and how
difficult it is or may be to get legisla-
ton through the senate. Notwith-
standing all this there are many wise
people who declare that the senate
way is the better way.
The statehood bill Is now the unfin-
ished business In the senate 1t is
an old, threadbare subject which has
not new feature to be exploited at
this session; and yet nobody can tell
how long it will be debated or when
a vote will be reached 1t may be
March 20 and it may be April 20. An
effort to set date for voting would
be met with an objection from some
senator and that would settle the ques
ton. The measure will be debated
from time to time and in the course
of a month, when many senators have
spoken, an effort will be made to fix
q date for voting. There will undoubt
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