The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-11
CONGRESS- HAS MUCH WORK
Number Of Measures Which Will Re-
quire the Attention Of the Repre-
sentatives and Senators.
FREE PRESS BUREAU.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nav Z.

sit up and take notice concerning the re-
naming work of the session.
The optimistic crowd which predicted
an adjournment by the 18th of May will
be well pleased if they could now safe
ly count on an adjournment by June
Goth.
Unless congress shirks many RESPONSE
bilties, and puts over until the short
session of congress next December, sew
eral very important matters it will re-
quire the greater part of this month and
next to dispose of such questions as the
Panama canal question:; the statehood
bill, the Philippine tariff bill, the free al
cohol act, the pure food hill, to say
nothing about scores of bills having
more or less of local character, and
which have been reported out from diff
ferent committees and are now upon
the congressional calendar.
The Panama canal matter itself is
one of tremendous import and the fact
that the committee on interOceanic
canals of the senate have been consider
ing the canal greater part of the SEES
sion gives some reason to the report
current today that no final action will
be taken during this session, as to the
selection of either sea level or lock
break canal.
There is more or less politics mixed
up with the Panama canal and it will
require the strongest possible effort on
the part of the administration to keep
back the strife and the contests which
have been raging around the head of
Chairman ShOnts, and Chief Engineer
Stevens of the commission.
The statement is made OH what
should be good authority that the canal
commission will be recognized in the
near future.
There is sort of ''give and take
program being arranged between the re-
publican leaders of the senate and house
looking to some sort of an amicable ar
rangement whereby the statehood bill
may be disposed of this session. At this
time that important measure is locked
up in the conference committee between
the two houses. "Uncle Joe" Cannon,
speaker, gave it out cold that the house
would never yield up the two-state
proposition and that if Oklohoha and
Indian territory come into the union
this session, New Mexico and Arizona
must be abroad the same band wagon.
But since the statehood controversy
developed the house passed the free alec
hol bill, the provisions of which have
been given in this correspondence to The
Free Press.
This bill probably has more real back
ing and is more desired by the people at
large than any other pending legisla-
ton. the railroad rate bill not excepted.
But the senate committee on finance
has pigeonholed the bill and will hold it
up for trading stock with Speaker Can.
non.
If the house will contest to accept
hood bill, whereby the people of Arizona
and New Mexico are given the privilege
of voting on the question of whether
or not they desire to become a state,
then the senate will do business with the
alcohol bill.
Whereas is the pure food bill which
has already passed the senate does not
receive favorable consideration by the
house the senate will retalate by letting
proposed public building bill go over un-
til the short session next winter, and
the house would rather sit here until
after dog days than to lose this. Hence
the situation Just now is a little COM
plicated but it is expected that it clear
up before long
Stand Patters Quiescent.
Since the result of the congressional
convention in the tenth district of Iowa
the standpatters in congress have be-
come auiescent. Included in the list of
course is Brother McCleary of Minneso-
ia, who thus far has refrained from
saying a word on this question, or in
fact any other during the present ses-
sion.
1t is of course possible that Mr. Me-
Cleary. intends to follow the precedent
which he adopted two years ago this
summer. At that time it will be remem.
bered, the national republican convention
assembled few days after the adjourn
ment of congress.
McCleary went out to Chicago where
the convention was held and after con-
ferring with members of the convention
who were to frame the party platform,
he sent word back to the government
printing office in Washington, to print
a speech from him.
This speech was based upon the two