Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-12-25
WORK or
CONGRESS

The Brownsville affair consumed
nearly the entire session of the Senate
| Monday. Senator Foraker obtained the
floor early and read letters from Il for
mer soldier of the Twenty-ifth regi-
ment telling of the procedure of gov
eminent detectives in attempts to get
a confession from him. Mr.. Foraker
introduced an amendment to his orig
inaI bill for the re-enlistment Of these
soldiers providing hat a commission
of three retired army officers be ere
ated to determine whether discharged
soldiers are innocent of completely in
the shooting up of Brownsville as a
p~rereuuisite for their reinlistment, in
stead of leaving that duty with the
President, as provided by the Warner
bill. The Presidents message giving
the results of the War Departments
Investigation Of the Brownsville affair
was read and Mr.. Foraker again took
: the floor to comment upon the mes
sage. While considering bills dealing
with affairs in the District of Column
bia the House passed a measure for
S5-cent gas in Washington,
The Presidents Panama canal message
was read in the Senate Tuesday and it's
reading WIS received with loud laugh
ter by some of the Senators. Senator
Foraker c~ndravored to have adopted a
resolution calling IN the Secretary Of
War for detailed information concern
ing the men employed, Instructions Civ
~, ,,1 ,,,, ,a,,p,, -, tHn IN
v~estigation by detectives into the
Brownsville affair. referred to by the
President in his message of Monday.
Senator Warren objected to Immediate
consideration. The postal savings bank
bill was the subject Of speeches by Sell
ators Carter and Depew, both of whom
advocated the measure. The hopes of
the so-called insurgents for Il revision
of the Jules of the House were diSSi-
pated, for the time being at least, when
Mr.. Gardner of Massachusetts failed I"
obtain the adoption Of an amended res
olution calling for the appointment CT
Il committee of eight members to con-
slider the subject ana report the
changes deemed necessary. BY a sub
stantial majority the House voted 10
take away from the Committee on For
eign Affairs consideration of the reSo-
luton, which in its original form, sim
ply called for information from the Sec
rotary of State regarding what the
British House of Commons had lone in
that regard. A ruling by the Speaker
that the amendment of Mr.. Gardner
hanged the character of the resolution
in such a way as to make it not privi-
legged was sustained and the resolution
then was laid on the table
In the Senat considerable time was
devoted Wednesday to a discussion Of
the Presidents course in placing STRIFE
lures on Congress in the matter of the
secret service, and a searching resolu-
ton. proposed by Mr.. Aldrich and
amended upon the suggestion Of Mr..
Culberson, providing for a thorough in
vestigation by the committee on appro-
priations of the Presidents charges,
both in Respect to the acts and the
course that should be taken by Con
gress to resent the imputation believed
to have been cast upon that body, was
adopted. Mr.. Aldrich, in introducing
his resolution. made 10 comment upon
1T, but Senators Bailey, Bacon, Till
man., CulberSon and others declared
tina Presidents words should be re-
sented by the Senate as highly insult
ing. Senator Foraker's resolution call
ing on the Secretary Of War for in
formation concerning the work Of de-
t~ectives in the Brownsville affair also
was adopted.
The postal savings bank bill was be-
fore the Senate Thursday for over an
hour, Senator Burkett of Nebraska
making a comprehensive argument in
favor of its passage. The Senate list
ened also to the reading Of a message
from the President recommending a
change in the form of government of
the District Of Columbia, by which a
Single executive head would take the
place of the board of three commission
ers who now Jointly act as a governing
board. At $50 o'clock the Senate ad-
%journed until Saturday. BY unanimous
vote the House adopted a resolution
presented by the special committee Of
five calling on the President for proof
OF his charge that members were fear
full of an investigation by the secret
service agents. The remainder of the
day was given over to consideration Of
bills on the private calendar. a large
number of which were passed.
The Senate was not In session Fri
day. Because of the general exodus
Of member for their homes for the
Christmas holidays. the attendance in
the House was far short Of a quorum.
Nevertheless Il good deal of business
was transacted. This consisted mostly
Of the passage of war claim bills, some
Of them giving rise to considerable dis
cuSSion.
NEWS OF MINOR NOTE.
Twenty men were hurt in a railroad
collision near Brussels, Belgium.
Several persons were hurt in 8 clash
between artillery men and citizens at Port
Townsend, Wash. ..
Rear Admiral Mason, chief of ordnance.
In his annual repOrt. 81 Tvs the hio mn