The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-02-25
IN WASHINGTON
laFollette Fight on Rush Methods of
Ring Doing Good-Senate Com
mites Do All Real Business New
Place for Roosevelt-B Big Appropri-
alton Bills.
Washington, d. C.
February %. 1909.

Washington, ID. C.
February %, 1909
The feature of the week here has
been the attack on the Naval Appro-
priation Bill in the Senate by the
"antis," led by LaFollotte. The SEN
ators believe that each bill should be
discussed on the floor of the Senate
as well as in the Committee which
draws 1t up. The facts on which de-
cisions are based in regard to public
policy are brought out and discussed
by the Committees, but these discus
sions are practically private, and are
not reported in the newspapers. The
result is that the people of the Unit
ed States do not know the reasons
which Congress has for acting as it
does.
For example, in regard to this Naval
Bill, the report was made unanimous
by the Committee, and for all the
public knew each of its Recommended
lions was indisputably correct and
not a subject for any important diff
ference of opinion. But by the dis
cussions on the floor of the Senate
which LaFollette brought about it
has been made apparent that the
Committee had a tremendous fight
within itself in order to come to GER
tain decisions. 1t reported for 81
900 ton battleships: but a strong
minority composed of its ablest
members, favored 10000 ton ships.
1t defended the system of having
several navy yards for the repair and
building of ships on the Atlantic coast:
but there is serious question whether
better results would not be gained
by having only two or three yards.
and having each one of them bigger
and better than any one of them can
be when there are so many as at
present.
Mr.. LaFollette deserves the thanks
of the nation for calling it's attention
to these vital questions, which would
not have been thought about at all
If the Committees bill had been pass
ed without discussion as planned. On
the other hand the "old line" Sem
ators say that to adopt such a policy
on every bill would be to prolong
the sessions of the Senate without
end. They point out that the bust
ness of the nation is transacted faster
by having certain men take especial
interest in certain subjects. Indeed
good many of the speeches by the
rebels" this week have been COM
posed largely Of hot air, and have
shown a pitiful amount of ignorance
of the matters treated.
On Thursday the attempt was made
to hold up the Post Office Appropria-
ton Bill in the same way. Senator
Boise Penrose of Pennsylvania, Chair
man of the Post Office Committee,
resented the attack. He asked La
Toilette whether the latter knew any
thing about Post Office matters, and
LaFollette had to own up that he did
not. Penrose then asked him what
he hoped to learn or what he hoped
to do for the betterment Of the bill
by few hours discussion. Penrose
said that it was a useless waste of
the country's time to hold a talk
feast" for the benefit of few un-
informed Senators who wished to ap-
pear as reformers in the eyes of
the nation. LaFollette has laid him
self open to this criticism by being
very lax in his attendance at the
committee meetings where he ought
to be doing the country's business.
Another case of similar criticism
was that made by Senator Ben Till
man on Tuesday. Senator Dixon Of
Montana was thunderously attacking
the Naval Committee and betraying
a good deal of incidental ignorance of
what he was talking about. The fiery
Tillman, who for all his faults is a
hard worker, and has done good SER
vice on the Naval Committee for
many years, made a characteristic
speech, Senator Dixon's zeal out
runs his discretion. He has been
reading a magazine full of lies. 1t
is all we'll enough to sit on the pin
nacle Of the Rocky Mountains and
criticize the navy, but the opinions
CONTINUED on fourth page)