Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-02-25
SUFFRAGISTS WIN NATIONAL CAPITAL
SENATE BOSSES face A Deter.
Mined rebellion.
La Toilette Leads Attempt to Sma sh
the Appropriation Program, Which
Is Likely to Succeed. insurgents
Threaten the Mastery of AIdriCh
and Hale.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 22.-
Ii the progressive or reform element
of the Republicans in the United
States Senate adheres courageously
to the program it has mapped out of
opposing the hasty passage of the re-
naming appropriation bills the six
tieth congress will round out its re-
cord of uselessness in a befittting
manner and go down into history as
one of the worst congresses that ever
gathered in the capitol.
1t will not take many senators of
the determination of LaFollette to
make the program that he enunciated
last week complete success, for
the conditions of legislation are such
that only the boldest strong-arm
methods of legislative jamming on
the part of the dominant crowd of
senators can overcome the opposition.
The latter has everything on it's side,
as there remain but 9 legislative day
before March 4, and to get the doz-
en- important appropriation bills
through the senate in that time would
require the most expert sort of man
agement of the Allison brand. But
there Is no Allison now to smooth the
way, to placate and compromise, and
even if there were it would be impos-
sible for him to turn the trick in the
face of the young element that is said
/ to be bent on making itself felt by
teaching the old managers they are
no longer the whole thing.
The list of appropriation bills that
have not been acted on by the SEN
ate includes practically all but two,
the legislative, executive and judicial
and the District of Columbia. Still
to be disposed Of by the upper cham
ber are the army bill, the navy bill,
Notifications, postoffice, agriculture,
Indian sundry civil, diplomatic and
consular, deficiency and military ac-
ademy.
1t will be seen that to dispose of
these great supply bills, carrying hun
dreds of millions of dollars, in the
space of 8 days is a dangerous pro-
posal, as it would be utterly impos-
sible that a proper scrutiny of the
items making up each should be made.
No one but the members of the com.
mittees that made up the bills could
possibly have more than the most
| superficial knowledge Of their con-
tents. Thus the attitude of oppOsi-
tion to hasty action taken by Sem
ator LaFollette has ample justifica-
tion behind it and it cannot be truly
said that he and those who are ex-
pected to stand with him against the
old guard are actuated by selfish or
unworthy motives. They can truly al
lege that under their oaths as Sena-
tors 1t Is their duty as we'll as their
right to have sufficient time to eX-
anime at least cursorily the contents
Of the great appropriation bills and
to discuss them at some length.
II the reform element stands by
LaFollette, it will undoubtedly block
the customary rush game of the old
leaders and bring the latter up
against the most dangerous situation
they have faced almost in a genera
tion. 1t will put their power to the
test all along the line and may have
most important and salutary effect
on the tariff legislation of the next
congress. By forcing most of the ap-
preparation bills into the special ses-
sion. the speaker will be compelled
to do more at the outset of that ses-
sion than merely appoint the ways
and means committee and the appro-
priations committee. He will be
compelled by the situation he will
find himself in to appoint practically
all important committees Of the
house and this will insure that the
special session will do more than deal
with the tariff bill and the appro-
priation bills that fail to get through
before the fourth of March. And If
general legislation is undertaken at
the special session. it will give the
reform element of the Republicans in
the senate a marked advantage, for
they will be considerably stronger in
the new congress than they are in
this. They will be in better
position to compel the old leaders to
yield to them in the matter Of COM
mittee assignments and when it comes