The San Francisco call., 1907-02-24

the committee on appropriations. Till
this winter he has been the hardest
working mem Der of either body. par
ticularly toward the end of the session
This winter his health has been so
poor that he has been compelled to
turn much of the work over to Senator
Hale of Maine. Senator Allison has
tween the two houses than any other
man living. He is an adept in the art of
settling differences without waving
his main points. Some of the COM
promises he has invented are monu-
ments to his genius. He is always
cool, always courteous and always
firm. Years ago he was weighed in the
balance and found to be an incorrupti-
BILE man He could nave lined his
pocket and with an appearance of
honesty, but he preferred honesty it
self On his sole Judgment many a
time Congress has oraered the expen-
diture of millions of dollars. In the
hurly- burly of adjournment time Sena
tor Allison's word is taken without
question.
HALE HARD WORKER
Senator Hale is the chairman's right
hand man. Hale is a hard worker,
being chairman of the committee on
naval affairs as we'll as serving fire.
quently at the head of the appropria-
tions committee. He is more ruthless
than Allison. When he has big ap-
propriation bill under way in the Sen
ate he is likely to trample down any
body who gets in his path. He is gift
ed with a tongue sharper than a ser
pent's tooth and barbed at the end.
Being an absolutely fearless and in
dependent citizen. Hale shoots his ar
rows in any direction. He Is as likely
to hit his own party as the opposition,
and the President gets as many arrows
as anybody.
James A. Tawney of Minnesota
chairman of the House committee on
appropriations, was selected by Speak
er Cannon for that post after careful
survey of available timber. Tawney
was formerly a blacksmith. He has a
hand like a sledgehafnmer and q voice
that can be heard above the tumult of
the house. He blows the bellows of
legislation well and does not hesitate
to use the opposition as an anvil when
necessary. Some of the workmanship
he has turned out would do credit to
any. Thor in Congress during recent
years. He is in line for the Speaker
ship If Uncle joe should be exalted by
death or the Presidency. Uncle joe
however. is sidestepping both of these
grim adversaries with the agility of a
colt
When Allison. Hale, Cullon, Per-
kins, Berry, Tillman and other mem
bers of the Senate committees in charge
of appropriation bills are locked in a
struggle with Tawney. Littauer. Liv-
ingston, Foss, Hull, Overstreet, Bur-
ton and other managers on the part
of the House" the general interests of
of L.
Joe and such able lieutenants as Payne,
Grosvenor and Dalzell. Meanwhile
the Senate's political interests are
guarded by Aldrich, Lodge. Spooner
and a few others :.
Senator Aldrich does not bother with
appropriation committees. He is a
superb mixer and compromiser, but
his chief value is as a political field
marshal He cannot afford to be closeted
in conference room when the enemy
may be springing mine at the last
moment of the session. so he stays on
guard, saying little, but missing moth
ing
Sometimes Congress is treated to a
neat little surprise al the end of ses-
sion, such as that of 1901. when Sen
ator Carter in ten hour speech,
blazing with wit, killed the river and
harhor bill. carrying s30000,00 worth
proper share. Or a Senator may hold
Congress by the throat and make it
dig up" as Tillman did in 1903 He
wanted an appropriation for South
Carolina which he believed was Justly
due. 1t looked as if he would not get
it. Early in the evening. on March g.,
he had a lot of books brought in and
piled beside his desk. He courteously
gave notice that he intended to make
a few remarks on Byron and other
British poets. with copious extracts
from their works He thought his
speech might extend up to noon Oh
March 4, unless the conference com
mittee agreed to insert his little item
He got the item along about a. m
and Uncle Joe. who was then mem
Der of the conference committee. re-
turned to the House and made a speech
about the Senate that caused that au-
gust body TO stand aghast for weeks
This year there is no sign of such
an episode. But there is nothing to
prevent any Senator from holding up
one of the big bills, or killing it. So
everybody breathes a sigh of, relief
when the gavels fall at noon on March
4. which is constructively the end of
the legislative day of March g.