Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-04-29
A DAY IN THE SENATE
PEN PICTURE BY Mr.. STILLMAN OF HOW
LEGISLATION is SAFEGUARDED.
Interesting Letter Describing How the Sen
ate is the Safety Value of the Nation
Protecting the Treasury and Pro-
hibiting Unwise
Legislation.

Washington. d. O.. April 25.-Spe-
cial Correspondence The making of
National laws is strange and diff.
cult process. The general public sees
the finished work, reads such bits of
speeches as the daily press thinks
worth printing, and passes Judgment
on the job. The fact is that the mass
es of the people have but slight con-
ception of the difficulty Of the whole
scheme or the tremendous responsible
ity imposed upon the "leaders" in
Congress, because few men really
determine what shall or shall not be
done.
Something like twenty thousand
bills have been introduced into Con-
gress this session and nearly all of
them are measures designed to dig
money out of Uncle Sans strong box.
Each senator and representative comes
to Washington loaded down with re-
quests and demands for legislation
handing out money for Thousand
and one purposes, from the bill to
give feeble ola soldier a private pen
sion of $50 month, to bill to pro-
vide for the erection of a public
building to cost $3, 900, coo Each
member is bent on getting his own
bills through because upon their pas
sage perhaps the welfare of his state
or district depends, and possibly his
own political fortunes may be in
volved. He is willing the other fell
How should get at the treasury pro-
[yided he, himself, gets what he
wants. 1t will thus be seen that but
/ for powerfully restraining influences.
somewhere. the sessions of Congress
would develop into a regular you
Tickle me and I'll tickle You game.
L and in a month Uncle Sans s strong
box would be as devoid of cash as Old
Mother Hubbard's cupboard was of
Ibones.
r. Therefore. it may be said at the
outset that one of the principal tasks
of the leaders in the Senate and House
is to prevent national bankruptcy by
preventing members from getting
their hands into the strong box. AS
may be imagined this is much more
easily said than done. But it is done,
just the same and the men who shoul-
der the burden are entitled to more
credit than they get.
How is it done, you ask? Well. by
not letting anybody get all they
want. by letting good many get a
portion and shunting off some with
ont anything. In accomplishing this
delicate task the leaders bring into ac-
tion tact and diplomacy that in the
open market.could not be bought for
81. 500 year.
Here is picture of an afternoon in
the Senate which will perhaps throw
little light on the subject. and il
lustrates in specific way how cer-
tain bills are sidetracked.
At about IL 80 the petitions. resol-
utions, bills and reports of commit
tees are all in and the Senate is ready
for business. What is known as the
anti.injunction bill was up for consid-
Grafton and it had been supposed this
proposition would occupy consid-
erable portion of the afternoon, fol-
lowing which what was known as the
swamp. land bill was scheduled for ap-
pearance.
Unexpectedly the anti-injunction
measure did not last as long as was
expected and passed about two o.
clock. Then came the swamp land
bill. Senator Bacon moved that Sec
tions four and five of the bill be
stricken out. There was hurrying
of Senate officials and in moment
two or three Senate leaders appeared.
It should not be assumed that because
senators are not always in their seats
that they are necessarily smoking in the
cloak-room or enjoying the air in
their automobiles. The leaders are
chairmen of big committees and men,
bers OF half dozen others and abont
this time of the session they are work
ing like treadmill horses.
Senator Blank arrived just in time
to hear Senator Flint, who was in
charge of the swamp bill move that
Senator Bacon's amendment be laid
on the table. This motion is not de-
batable and must be acted upon at
once. This action indicated to the
practiced eye of the leaders that the
bottom was about to drop out of the
discussion and that in few minutes
there might be nothing before the
Senate except the calendar of bills
favorably reported by committees.
Before action could be had on
Flint's motion to lay Bacon's amend