, 1908-06-16
REPUBLICAN STATE TICKET.
MoNDELL'S VIEWS OF THE WORK
OF CONGRESS.

OF CONGRESS-.
Congressman Mondell, VINO returned
home last Saturday looking hale and
hearty after his strenuous winters
work, in response to the inquiries OF
the News-Journal mans request that
he furnish our readers with an ex-
active members as to the work of the
session of congress just closed, said:
The session of congress whioh-closed
May 80. was a session of earnest, effec-
tive work on the part at least of those
members so placed as to be particu-
larry charged with responsibility for
legislation and while the output of
new legislation was not as great as 1t
has been in some previous sessions ]
recall no session In my experience in
which more faithful and conscientious
work was done by those committees
having charge OF the many important
propositions of legislation submitted
for their consideration.
The committee on the public
lands, OF which l am chairman, held
more meetings and thoroughly discus
sed more important questions than ut
any previous session since / have been
a member of it, and this was true of
o OF the important committees of
both houses.
The idea that a congress Is not
doing much worth while unless 1t
grinds out an enormous grist Of new
legislation is most erroneous. A leg
islative body often serves the people
1t represents the best when it de-
clines to act hastily on every new and
novel, and possibly freaky. PROPOSE
ton presented to 1t, and 1t is to the
credit Of the members Of the present
congress that the late session declined
to pass finally or a number of ques-
tons in regard to which the people of
the country have not as yet fully mace
up their minds. OF course the advo-
Gates of each and every proposal of
legislation presented, good or bad,
helpful or harmful. join in the chorus
of those who criticise congress for not
having acted along the lines Of their
particular fancy, and strangely enough
these same critics cry that the appro-
priations were excessive, In the same
breath in which they complain be-
cause congress did not take favorable
action on some pet idea of theirs
which would have added largely to the
sum of the appropriations.
Now that the country has grown so
that the appropriations for a session
the most earnest effort of the COM
mittees to keep them down, it should
be borne In mind that only the most
thorough scrutiny of all items pre-
vents the appropriations from run
ming hundreds Of millions higher than
they do, and should congress respond
to anything like all the demands made
upon it for expenditures, strenuously
claimed to be important, wise and
necessary we would soon have a bank
rupt treasury.
Those who insisted upon a greater
increase in the navy than was pro-
vided for; those who clamored for
VASTLY iheieaseu PItopiia y N
ternal waterways, the advocates OF
Nase expenditures ny lhe ieuerai eof
eminent ior the purchase Oh iahus "
create forest reserves in the Appala-
chiah and White mountain region ma
turaiiy n lauie because congress oio
not oeem II wise 70 carry out tnese
pohcles'
Inc advocates Oh posal savings
panks' a parcels post ana various
other propositions OF l~egisiaton 40
not always appreciate the fact thal
questions OF TINS sort involving new
pohcies OF lar reaching erect require
most careful and deliberate considera-
ton by congress N should nave a
united sentiment Tor them on the part
or the people before they a be prop
erly or wisely 1naugurated.
to leglsiate on ques-
lions does not, however, indicate a
lack OF activity or interest with re-