The Cairo bulletin., 1908-05-30
POLITICAL GOSSIP
FROM WASHINGTON
CONGRESS HAS ACCOMPLISH Ed
LITTLE IN THE WAY OF
REMEDIAL LEGISLATION.
PRESIDENT tXpL0. E)
Things-Disaffection Among
Western Republican Mem
bers-The Pork Bill.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, May 29--What with
congress on his hands and the Taft
boom on his shoulders, President
Roosevelt Is not having smooth sail
ing these days. When the Republican
national committee selected United
States Senator Julius Caesar Bur
rows, instead of the ubiquitous Bev-
eridge, to preside over the national
convention, it was direct intlmation
to Mr. Roosevelt that he could not
run things entirely to suit himself
When this news reached the White
House there was an explosion and
Republican reactionaries were classed
with malefaetors of great wealth as
most undesirable citizens. The at
mOsphere has not cooled off yet in
the presidential region, for there is
imminent danger that the anti-Taft
faction may by manipulation of the
90 contested delegates hold control OF
the convention and upset the politi.
cal arrangements of enc Theodore
Roosevelt. Both sides claim they
will control, though the Roosevelt
TAFT clamor Is the most noisy and
spectacular as might be expected.
There may be a clash on the question
of how much my policies" will be
endorsed by the convention, and that
may precipitate fight in the con
venton itself, though as a matter OF
political necessity President Roose,
Welt and his administration will have
to be strongly endorsed in a general
way
Refore this Is in print congress
may have adjourned, II the confer
ence committee on the currency bill
arrives at an agreement, which Will
have to be a compromise. The sen
ate bill somewhat amended will be
the outcome. The Republicans feel
they dare not adjourn without some
kind of "A currency measure to make
the deluded people imagine that fu-
ture panics are provided against
The only real piece of legislation
that the ordinary Republican con
gressman is actually interested in is
the public buildings measure which
appropriates $23,000,000. 1t is known
as the pork bil' in the con-
gressional parlance of the day, and
the various items are looked upon
as insurlng the election of the con-
gressmen from those districts that
are well favored.
How many ir4b bayo haou
traded for this mess of pottage can
be seen by the lack of useful reform
legislation. Some of the members
who rely solely upon pork" to make
friends with their constituents are
declaring they will not vote to adj |
journ until the ten days have elapsed
in which the president can veto the ,
bill, so that they can pass it over
the veto. This, they declare they
can do, though it requires a two.
thirds vote of both houses, there may
be some doubt If enough votes can |
be secured. If the veto message ex.
poses in strenuous Rooseveltian terms
how unnecessary most of these build |
ings are, especially when the United
States treasury is running behind at
the rate of nearly S150,0)0,000
year and will have to issue more
bonds to pay running expenses.
The average Republican member
of congress from doubtful districts is
so scared at his political prospects |
from the do-nothing record he has |
made that some of the western mem
bers have presented an ultimatrm to
Speaker Cannon that they would |
Join the Democrats in voting not to |
adjourn unless an anti-injunction bill |
was reported from the committee on |
Judiciary and an opportunity given
to vote upon It, Then another faction
is anxious to make a record by voting |
for the passage of the campaign pub
LEFTY bill which is before the house |
with favorable report. The leaders
may accede to this demand for they |
know that the senate will have the
excuse of not sufficient time to con-
slider such a measure, so the bill
would not pass as the leaders never
intended 1t should
In any event this congress will go
down In history as the most extrava-
giant on record, as standing pat on
the tariff, as refusing to consider re- !
form legislation that the president
recommended and a general do moth
ing record of what it should have
done and doing things it ought not
to have done.