The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-03-06
Situation Seems to Demand That Nsw
Members Take Their Seats at Once
Instead, Of Waiting More Than a
Year-Two @Lame Ducks" IN Clover.
By CHARLES W. ARTHUR.

night and today, many -of those who
live In distant states preferrlng TO put
up with some dlscomforts rather than
suffer any delay in getting back TO the
places where the votes come from. By
the end Of the week the session OF the
national legislature which adjourned
Monday viii be very much thing
of the past.
Reform Programme Sighted.
AS was pointed out in these dis
patches last week. the short session
did little for which the public may
commend 1t. Almost without excep-
ton the recommendation OF President
Roosevelt for general legislation were
ignored, and the time was spent on the
necessary appropriation bills. on meas
ures of various sorts favored by the
leaders. in the two houses and in such
pleasant. pastlines as discussing the
Brownsville riot and the discharge OF
a battalion of negro troops by the
president as a result thereof. Students
of public affairs are pointing to the
failure to enact laws favored by tie
president, who in most cases voiced
the sentiments of the country as
whole, as an additional and very po-
tent reason why u congress elected at
a November election should take its
seat Immediately on the converting of
the two houses the following month
Under the present system thirteen
months must pass before newly elected
representatives take their seats unless
the president calls special session
1t is certain that the new members
who were elected last November would
have stood by the public In It's de-
mands for reforms had they been able
to take hand in legislative business
this winter much more effectively than
did house composed OF many who
retired Monday and really did not
care much what happened and OF 9TH
ers who felt they were in a position to
ignore with IMMUNITY the country's OBJ
vious demand for various reformatiye
laws.
Public Apathetie.
The public itself seems strangely ap.
athletic in the premises. True. the re-
form wave of last fall swept some
unfit men out Of Office. but persons ac-
quainted with the makeup of congress
know that the work was not completed
by any means Many Of the congress
men who failed or refused TO attempt
to get through measures in The inter
est of the public this winter already
have been reelected to the Sixtieth
congress, and In 1908 many Of them
doubtless will be reelected once more.
When the people awaken to . realiza.
ton OF the fact that, according to the
Washington viewpoint. representa-
tive or senator Is usually fairly typical
Of the district or state from which be
comes. they may put fortlt;the necessa-
ry efforts 10 raise their own standards
at home and send the right kind Of men
to represent them.
Knox Boom Launched.
The latest presidential candidate. the
launching Of whose boom was comet
dental with the close Of congress- Is
Senator Philander Case Knox Of Penn.
sylvania. formerly attorney general
At dinner given by ELIAS Deemer,
one Of the retiring members OF the
Pennsylvania lelegatlea, ito his col.
leagues Representative Burke OF Pitts.
burg nominated Senator Knox for the
highest office in the gift Of the people.
While Mr.. Knox himself refused ~
take the matter. seriously, there are
others who think there may be some
thing in the suggestion In spite Of the
"hoodoo" which is supposed to attach
to the keystone State in the matter OF
presidential nominations. Mr.. Burke
referred to Senator Knox as the most
available of all the Republican presl,
Dental possibilities and laid special
stress on his work while attorney gen
eral in the way of prosecutions of the
trusts. The local papers have deemed
the incident worthy of considerable
comment.
"Lame Ducks" Cared For.
Representative ]. t. McCieary Of
Minnesota. whose congressional term.
expired Monday. he having failed of
reelection in November last as re-
suit of his attempt to stand pat in a
district which favored tariff revision,
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