Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-03-04
SENATORIAL GOSSIP.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGES AND INFLUENCE
OF ALLISON IN U. S. SENATE TOLD
BY Mr.. STILLMAN.
President Sends MESSAGE To Congress
Nearly Every Day. jeff Davis Failure.
Allison's Word is Enough. Politics
and Appropriations to Complete
Work Of Session.

a legislative day pass that MIR. I4atta,
Assistant Secretary to President
Roosevelt, does not knock officially at
the door of the Senate and House and
announce "a nj assage from the Presi-
dent of the United States. In other
words the president officially commu-
nicates with Congress nearly every day
of a session OF course the President
does not submit real message
every day, in fact such declarations
are of very infrequent occurrence
perhaps two or three session; but
the President has something to send
to Congress practically every day.
z This is due to the fact that. except
the Secretary of the Treasury. the
President is the only Official of the
government whose Communications
will be received by Congress. unless
specifically called for. II heads of
departments-the Treasury alone ex-
cepted-desire to submit reports or
recommendations to Congress. these
documents must be sent first to the
President who transmits them to Con-
gress.
Presidential appointments Of some
character are made every day, and
these appointments must be confirmed
by the Senate. When the daily batch
of Congressional documents are COM
pieted, Assistant Secretary Latta is
conveyed from the White House to
the Capitol in one OF the official car
riages. Arrived at the Capitol Mr.
Latta goes direct to the Senate. At
the outside Of the chamber are
stationed two door keepers, whose
business is to see thai only those
entitled to the Senate floor gain en-
trance. When Mr.. Lattl appears a
}pag4 Is 4iispatclseskS 90 nesiay tie as
sistant sergeant at arms. who hastens
to the entrance and joins Mr.. Latta
at the head of the main aisle inside.
The assistant sergeant-at- arms and
Mr.. Latta stand there side by side un-
til the Vice President recognizes
them. He arises and says: 1.-The
senator will suspend while the Senate
receives message from the President
of the United States
Bowling low the assistant sergeant
alarms SAYS: A message from the
President OF the United States. {"
Then Mr.. Latta bowing. says: II
am directed by the President Of the
United States to present to the Senate
q message in writing" The assistant
sergeant. alarms takes the document
and Mr.. Latta turns and leaves the
chamber, going to the House. where
the same proceedings are enacted.
Later the matter sent by the President
is laid before the Senate.
Formerly everything in the nature
OF a communication from the Presi-
dent was given to Congress in actual
hand writing. and clerk, who wrote
a beautiful hand, was kept employed
on this kind of work. OF late years.
however, the communications have
been typewriter or printed.
1t happered two or three weeks ago.
that right in the midst OF his arraign-
ment of the President for using
federal patronage to promote the Taft
boom, Senator Foraker was inter-
rupted by the Vice President to "re-
ceive a message from the President OF
the United States. The coincidence
was the subject of remark and of
numerous grins in the Senate. at the
time, and Senator Foraker reddened
quite perceptibly. However that was
only the beginning. Since that time
almost every time Foraker has risen
to speak he has been interrupted to
receive a message from the President
of the United States.' Only ON Mon
day of this week, Foraker, after
furtively glancing around to see that
the coast was clear, arose and asked
consideration for veIv short bill ;
one that did not require more than
three minutes in reading and passing
The bill was nearly psssesE Foraker
still standing. when in came Mr..
Latta with bis arm full of documents
and the Vice President got up and
said the Senate would receive mes.
sage from the President of the United
States. Senator Foraker threw up his
hands and dropped into his seat with
some remarks could not hear.
fancy he said that it was no use
that Latta must hang around at all
times, ready to interrupt him with a
message from the President OF the
United States. =