Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-04-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

The Republicans in Congress are be-
tween two fires. They are opposed to
many of the pet projects of the Pres
ident, and are afraid of an extra ses-
sion in case they do not act as he wishes.
Then too he has openly threatened that
If his desired measures are not adopted
he will veto any appropriations for
public buildings. Thus the big stick
and the whip are both fiourished. In
the meantime the singular spectacle is
presented of the Democratic minority
leader, John Sharp Williams, conducted
prolonged filibuster, preventing the
very legislation the Republicans want
adopted, and advocating action on lines
desired by Republican President
and opposed by Republican Congress.
Still more remarkable is the fact of the
Democratic minority joining with those
Republicans who are in sympathy with
the measures desired by Roosevelt.
1t is stated as openly threatened by
the President that if Congress fails to
adopt the measures he has urged he
VIII call an extra session. This is
dreaded by the Republicans for manv
reasons, chiefly because the summer is
the season of the great political con-
ventions, and not few of the mem
bers find it necessary to be at home
mending political fences. To spend the
summer in Washington is like purga-
tory to the average member of Con
gress.
AS matter of fact of all the meas
ures so ardently urged by the President
about all the original legislation done
so far by the Congress the EMPLOYERS
Liability Act is the only measure OF
national Importance. The three grea,
appropriation bills-the Naval. the
Sundry Civil and the General Defic.
iency, are yet to be discussed, at leas,
the last two-the naval Bill is still
being wrangled out in the House. Blu,
this is yet to go to the Senate, proyid.
ing 1T energies from the House in gooc
shape, and Senator Hale of Maine !,
set down as opposed to these great ex.
penditures- He will probably fight thei,
large appropriations, streniously and NAV
be able to defeat them. Hobson, of Cubar
fame, has used great eloquence in the
House to make it appear that thu
country needs-indeed must have-fou,
new battieships, costing eleven million,
each, and the cost of maintaining these
is put down at one million a year. AL
though Japan has just emerged from 3
war costing untold millions and almost
as many lives, Hobson seems to fee
sure that in a few years we will be in,
vaded by a Japanese fleet.
Meantime the Army appropriation
calls for not far from one hundred
millions, and the demand is supple.
mented by the statement that the arm,
must be increased to lbs, 900 men. The
Navy is sadly lacking in officers &c
command the fleet already afioat, anG
a bill is being held up in Congress fol-
increased pay for these same NAVY
gentry.
The Senate is without work. the
House filibuster holding back legisla-
ton. Meantime Mr.. Foraker will bring
up the Brownsville matter once more,
and this, once reopened, will consume
as much time as Senator's NAV choose
to give it. The Pension bill, too, has
yet to be acted on, and as this adds to
the pay of widows $l2 month, this will
take about SD, 0O0,O 900. 1t looks as if
every soldier in the Union army left as
many widows as Mormon.
The great work of the country seems
to be the task of electing President.
All others are trifiing and subsidiary.