The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-01-19
Congress Is Liable to Be Held
Up Until July.
BUT OH, THOSE TRAIL FENCES
How'll They be Looked After by Those
Representatives Who Have Oppo-
Sition for denomination.
Especial to The Free Press

have served in both branches of congress
for many years, this present session of
the fifty ninth congress will be long
one.
Dog days next July will find the
statesmen still wrangling over the ques-
ton of railroad rates and rebates, and
there will be many member who will
work early and late for an adjournment
in order that he may return home and
look after the fences in his district.
But the indications all point to an old
time long drawn out debate. There are
great many questions of more than
usual Importance for this congress to
settle.
The Panama canal proposition in itself
is of such tremendous magnitude that
both the senate and the house of repre-
sentatives did not want to take the re-
sponsibility of managing it at the out
set. But congress has got to face the
canal as well as the railroad rate oues-
ton, and if it should adjourn without
passing some legislation for the better
ment of the existing commercial condi-
tions or ratify some treaty between this
country and Germany, the prediction is
freely made that there will be more new
faces in the sixtieth congress than has
been seen in a new congress for the past
quarter of a century.
Then in addition to the rate situation
and the commercial crisis between I'm
Gle Sam and the kaiser, there is the
statehood bill which at this time bids
fair to provoke one of the prettiest
fights ever seen on the floor of the
house.
Tue eastern senators and members of
congress do not want to see an increased
representation from the west, especially
in the United States senate. For years
The sceptcr of congressional power has
been welded by the east, and it was not
until the past few years that the west
ever came into its own and asserted its
prerogatives.
When your correspondent came to
Washington in 1893 the craftsmanship of
every committee in the senate was held
by men who lived east of Pittsburg. 1t
is different today. Minnesota is coming
to the front in the senate, and for the
first time in the history of the North
Star state, it now has the craftsmanship of
one of the largest and most important
committees of congress, that of Indian
affairs.
Senator Moses E. Clapp will prove an
ideal chairman of that committee. He
knows more about the Indians than most
senators for he has tingle of the blood
in his makeup.
The interests OF the state will be much
benefited by Senator Clapp's deserved
promotion to the head of that commit
tee. He favors separate statehood for
Oklahoma and the Indian Territory, and
while he does not think that New Mex
leo and Arizona are just fitted right
now to come into the Union, he is in
favor of each of them coming in as
sovereign state when they are admit
ted into the sisterhood of states.
Mr.. Clapp is considered to be one of
the best posted lawyers on the senate
floor and Chairman Elkins of the com
mittee on interstate commerce assigned
Senator Clapp to cross examine the wit
nesses which appeared before that com
mittee.
In the opinion of Senator Clapp con-
gress will not be able to clear up its
work prior to the Fourth of July.
Irrigation and Drainage.
The Minnesota delegation is to have a
meeting early next week to take up
the question of federal aid for draining
the swamps lands in the northern sec
ton of the state. While it is an en-
tireIy new proposition, and although the
prospects of obtaining a direct appropri-
alton for drainage purposes are remote,
il is nevertheless a fact that ultimately
the low lands of the country, which
are now either wholly or partially in
undated will be reclaimed, and, that
government aid will be an important
factor in bringing this about.
1t is pointed out by Senator Kunte
Nelson, who is without question the
most perfectly posted northwestern SEN
ator on all matters pertaining to the
public domain, that it is equally incum-
bent on our Uncle Samuel to reclaim the
waste lands which are covered with wa
ter as it is for him to carry water to
those lands which for centuries have
been parched and bIistering.
So it has been decided to make a
start this winter. All movements of
this kind are rather slow in the propa-
eating process, but if there is merit and
value in scheme, and if it can be