Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-11

Especial Correspondence

| is beginning to be recognized as more
than Pigment of the disordered fancy
of a few extremists. A number of
bounced their purpose to keep con-
sress here till the cows come home if
the conference report on the railroad
| bill brings out measure which they
can not approve. But that isn't ALL
| 1t turns out now that there are a
| considerable number of representa-
tives who think they would be stronger,
politically, with their districts, if they
We're perspiring in Washington. with
zeal in behalf of a good bill, than if
they got an early adjournment. went
home to the dstricts-and then had
to spend the autumn explaining why
they voted for a railroad bill that did
not satisfy the people.
The conference committee that takes
this railroad bin in charge has task
on hand as has seldom been COM
mitted to a conference. 1t is considered
practically Impossible to fix the bill
within the strict rules governing con-
ference. On given point as to which
senate and house bills disagree, confer
ence is entitled to accept the house
provision, or the senate provision; or
in case one house has a provision on
a given point concerning which the
other house is silent, then conference
is presumed to accept that provision or
strike it out. Theoretically there is
no rewriting and compromising.
In actual experience, by stretching the
rules and by various technicalites at
which everybody winks because of the
necessities of particular cases, confer
ence has come to be legislation lab
oratory. All kinds of more or less ir-
regular things are done in conference.
This railroad conference is going to
be subjected to tempta tons. in this d.
rection, such as have hardly been
known before. The necessities of the
case make it inevitable. The confer
ees want to bring out bill that can
pass, and to do that is now regarded
as impossible unless considerable liber-
ties are taken with the rules governing
conference. If too many liberties are
taken, somebody is liable to make a
violent protest and invoke the liberal
rules: if not enough liberality is en-
ployed, the conference report will be
certain Of rejection. The conferees
are already realizing that they have
the big task of the session on their
hands-and the weather warming up.
The whole town of Washington
stood aghast with establishment, when
it discovered, as result of the PENN
sylyania primaries, that Joseph c. Sib-
ley had been nominated for congress
again, succeeding Representative Mel
son P. Wheeler of the Twenty eighth
district.
joe Sibley was one of the most
popular men in congress during his
former service in the house. He was
the foremost entertainer, a giver of
dinners which We're quite beyond COM
pare. the prime of mixers, and quite
beyond compare. the prince of mixers.
and quite the most capable spender in
either house. He would spend thou
sands on flowers and filings for one
dinner, and never blink. If a friend
fancied his big automobile. why, he
was liable to receive it the next day as
a present-an incident that actually
happened at least once.
Four years ago Sibley dropped out
Of congress voluntarily, and started for
long trip around the world. II was
supposed that was the last Washington
would see of him. But later came the
tremendous sensation of>the My Dear
Mr. Archbold" letters, written by Sib-
ley to the president of the Standard Oil
Company After the printing of these
letters, which contained intimate dis
cussion of political conditions in
|, Washington and developed that Sibley
was one of the congressional aides and
advisers to the Standard Oil man. it
was presumed that Sibley would hard
ly venture into politics again.
Not So Mr. Sibley wanted vindica-
ton. and he has got it. SO far as his
nomination in concerned. The wonder
of it is that his candidacy for renomi-
nation attracted no attention outside
his district. All Washington was sur
prised when it turned out that he had
been making a whirl-wind campaign.
His nomination has been the sensation
of the Pennsylvania primary, attract
ing even more attention than the close
race which John Dalzell had for re-
nomination.
1t is proposed that Mr.. Sibley will
/ have a harder time getting his election
than he did carrying off the nominal
ton. for some of the public men who
remember the Archbold letter incident
protest that 1t would be altogether I'M
proper to allow Sibley, with that rec
| ord behind him, to be returned to the
/ house. Consequently he is confronted
with real fight for reelection, in a
/ district usually Overwhelmingly repub-
| lican.
The annual series of prize packages
are being handed around to the post
masters of the country, in the form Of
orders for increases of their salaries.
About Is per cent of all the postoffices
in the country get the salaries of the
postmasters changed every year. and
Of those the vast majority get in
creases. Every year there are a few
reductions, owing to reduction OF the
volume of business; but these are the
exception, averaging about one to every
fifty of the Offices where the salaries
are raised.
The postal business OF the country
constantly increases in much greater
proportion fi-ccss;S. ton than Tie pupuIaiinl. IN
fact the postal business is regarded
by experts and stat1sticians as the
best gauge of general business con-
ditions. Twenty years ago the experts
used to make their business dope
tom tk1,e nsufesf Of the ardpe anda4teel