The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-18
Government Printing House
Shows the Situation.
BLOCKING PRESIDENT.
Strained Relations With Ex.
ecutive Continue.
Much Talk But Little Progress
in Sight.

Washington, D. c.. Jan. 1S.-Not in
the history of the oldest employees ex-
perience at the government printing
office, has there been a session of
congress at which the business of con-
gress. at a corresponding date in the
session, has dragged so far as this
year.
Ihls statement is made on author
ity OF people at the big printery,
which is the best barometer of the
congressional situation. Nowhere else
is there so excellent a gauge of the
progress of business on Capitol Hill
IL the appropriation bills and reports
are not coming in to be printed, it
Is because the committees have not
been getting done the necessary work
OF preparing them. And this is just
what the printing office people say is
happening in this session.
everybody recognizes now the con-
gress Is away behind its job. There
are about seven weeks left of the ses-
sion, and most of the work to be done
me period before the holidays never
produces much of results This year
congress has been occupied with its
feud with the president, and hasn't
had much time for other work.
Inc chances are not good for an i'm
proVement of the situation. In the
mouse the insurgents against the rules
are formulating program of time
killing, based on a determined pur-
pose to air their dfspIeasure with the
rules They want to call the coun-
try,S attention, in the most vigorous
and persistent way, to the conditions
which the present rules impose upon
the house.
To this end It has been decided by a
goodly group of the insurgents to miss
no opportunity for an attack on the
rules and organization of the house.
Ihere will be speeches galore. Any
IuckIess wight who says a word in de-
Tense of the rules will probably get an
oratorical lambasting to the very limit
OF the insurgents abilities. 1t is real
lzed that all this will take time. but
the insurgents guess they can spare
the time If only they can make pro-
gress with their fight
Mr.. Olmstead of Pennsylvania, speak
er pro tenn, delivered himself the 9TH
er day of an hours speech in defense
of the rules. Well. Mr.. Olnlstead is
going to be answered about as thor
oughly as ever a mortal was. Insur-
gents look upon his speech as a chaI-
lenge and def, and they are literally
hopping to it. Anybody else who
kind word for the rules
Meanwhile the feud with the presi-
dent Is going to keep right on taking
time. Congress isn't going to pass any
thing that the president particularly
wants passed, and 1t Is likely to leave
unpassed some things that it suspects
he would veto Thus there is reported
to be a move among the house leaders
to postpone passage of the sundry civil
bill till the special session, in order
that the president may not get the
chance to veto it.
The president is credited with a de-
termination to carry his fight up to the
extreme of vetoing this whole measure
if congress doesn't restore the secret
service fund to the control which form
erly ruled it.
An appropriation bill is a serious
matter. This one carries all the sal
aries for the government service, and
many other things. but the president
could veto it without interference with
the public service. because the special
session could easily repass it before
| July I. when the new appropriations
! take effect Congress having got wind
of this alleged intention to veto. pro-
pose to beat the White House to it by