The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-02-23
.HOI FOR OWNERSHIP,
Democratic Members Against
Government Railway Lines.
CANVASS OF THE MINORITY.

This Is Another Billion Dollar Con-
sress-Prssidsn to Change Gold Coin
Designs - Mr.. De Almonds Boom
For Mr. Williams Job ls Lively.
tfs4AA aHf&1.t 9Eg hi f4aAe.sfi SIf 49,
I, do BY CHARLES W, ARTHUR
Washington, Feb. 2s.-Ispecial. III
the attitude OF their senators and rep.
resentatiyes in congress may be taken
as a criterion, the Democrats Of the
country are unaiterably opposed to the
policy OF government ownership Of
railways. "A local newspaper the
Washington Herald. has just eoniplet.
ed d canvass of the members Of the
minority IN both houses, and not one
OF those from whom answers hive.
been received says he favors the ae-
QUESTION of the land transportation
lines by the government. A large ma4
jority simply announce their dnc6Hui-
tional opposition, while few 20 so if'nr-
as to say that they might favor. gov
eminent ownership IN Fthe event that
government snpeiSd sion and regulation
are shown 70 be a failure. John SI,arp
Williams, the Democratic leader in the
house, is one OF the most outspoken
against the proposed policy, He. has
made Il the principal Issue between
himself and Governor Vardainan of
Mississippi. who is his opponent for
the next ydcint senatorsIiib from the
state. l 60 fgr ae
~
Congressional Business Lays. = a7
Republican leaders are disturIled by
the backward condition OF eougres-
slOnaI business and have had several
conferences with the president to dis;
cuss ways and means of cxpediting
matters. AT the beginning OF tits week,
the next to the last OF the session. iiot
one of the fourteen big apptoprIatioi,
l'bIlis had beenfinally enacted into Inv.
bandstwo had not been considered at ali
Old timers, say they do not recall anT
session the business Of which was no;
further advanced at this period Thos=
who are most apprehenslve over tlA
situation, apparently, are the advocate
Of the ship subsidy bill, who see tue
chances of tinnl action on their meas
ure becoming smaller aud beautifully
less each day. Some little general les
islation may be enacted il the eight
legislative days which stll remain, but
the present Indications are that the
lawmakers will do well to get through
with the appropriation bills in that
time. 4a
4 IA Billion Dollar Session.
The totals OF the money measures
which have already been considefed
show that this win be billion dollar
congress. Despite the efforts which the
leaders of the majority in both houses
are said to have made TO Keep expendi-
lures down, the outlook now Is that the
total appropriations of the session will.
be more than those of any other ses-
sion in the history of the country. FL
nancial experts estimate dat the ex
pendittires for the next fiscal year may
exceed the revenues by as much az
800. 100000. but this has not deferred
those in control Of appropriations from,
being more liberal than ever before
The more thoughtful members OF both
houses say that this result is partly
due to the impossibility Of giving prop
er attention to appropriation bills in
the three months allotted to short SEES
sions, and in consequence the move
iimcnt for lengthening such sessions has
gained strength.
To Change Coin Designs,
Within year from this date the de
signs for all the gold coins issued by
the United States government will be
changed. The law prescribed that
changes shall not be made oftener than
\ once in twenty-five years, aud as the
present designs are the same as they
were fifty years ago the president be-
lieves that It is time to provide new
ones. The selection OF designs Is large
ly matter Of choice with the presl-
dent. The law merely provides that
each coin shall bear an emblem Of
Liberty, the year of the coinage and
the phrase e Pluribus Unum" SO
long as he sees that these provisions
are carried out the president may put
what he likes ON the coins He has
had a number of new designs submit
ted to him already.
De Almond Opposes Williams.
Representatives Shackletord Of Ms
souri, and Lamar of Florida. who have
long had personal grudges against Nj
1 nority Leader Williams because. of hi,
refusal to recommend them Cor reap
pointment to positions on the commit
tee on interstate and foreign commerce.
are, with others, continuing their cam
paigh against him. 1t is asserted nov
that sufficient votes to defeat him for
the leadership in the next house have
been secured. The opposition candi
date is Representative De Almond Of
Missouri, whose ability is generally ac1
knowledged, but who is not what poll
ticians call mixer, and therefore
has no large personal following, Six
ty-eight Democrats who are TO be mem
bers of the next house are said to lie