The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-01
And congressman Fear He
Will Put An Fourth Class
Postmasters Outside Fold
in Civil Service.
ACTION ON PENSIONS
IS GREATLY CHANGED
No Longer Does Congress De-
vote Friday Nights to Con-
sidering Private Bills
Washington Gossip.
american News Service)
~ RoDERIck CLIFFORD.


Washington. April 3O.-The appre-
hension that President Taft may fol-
low the example of HIS strenuous pre-
decessor and issue q blanket order
covering the classified service of the
remaining fourth-class postmasters is
making the congressman hustle" to
secure appointments in their respec-
tive districts. No member of the
house is more active in this matter
than Representative Walter p. Brown
low, OF Tennessee, who Is Familiarity
known In his state as the easy boss"
II there Is one executive department
that Representative Brownlow knows
better than another IL is the post Of
flee. When his constituents call at
the capitol to see him. and he is not
to be found In the committee room
or In the house office building, they
are directed to the post office depart
ment, for they will most surely find
him there. 1t is laughingly said that
Colonel Brownlow camps on the steps
OF the post office department build
Ing. Certain 1t is he never overlooks
any fourth-class post offices coming
his way.
Has Been . Change.
1t is just ten years since the house
abolished the Friday night session
which was devoted to the consider
alton OF private pension bills. These
sessions were often provocative of
lively debates and much campaign
material was manufactured for use in
taku Lot xvhA IL
factor In elections. In past years
pension legislation proved q drawing
card and elected many q republican
to the house; but with the enactment
Of general pension laws, which 1t was
believed would make it comparatively
easy for the old soldiers to obtain
the bounty, which generous gov
eminent intended they should have,
the bitter partisan feeling engendered
by private pension bills gradually dis
appeared. The result was that the
Friday night session has done away
with and two Fridays a month were
given to the consideration Of these
private pension bills, in which nearly
every member of the house is person
ally interested.
The chairman Of the Invalid Pen
sion cmmittee is Representative Cy
A. Sulloway. of New Hampshire, the
tallest man in the house. He is now
serving his eighth consecutive year,
and during all those years he has
been on this committee.
Reported by Hundreds.
The whole method Of considering
private pension bills has been chang
ed. Now they are reported by the
hundreds and passed within an hour
or two. "The old boys are rapidly dy-
ing off," said Representative Sullo-
way, "and there is no longer q dispo-
sition to keep them off the pension
roll. The bills reported from my
committee represent that class of
claimants not reached by the general.
We carefully examine all papers in
the case and the member who intro
duces the bill comes before us and
gives the evidence on which he makes
favorable report. Under the new
order the house disposes Of several
thousands of meritorious claims in al
session, when in other days. an active |
congress would not pass more than
several hundred bills"
Champ ciark's Room.
The room OF the minority leader.
Representative Champ Clark, of Mis-
souri,. IL on the first floor of the house |
wing Of the capitol. In the northeast
corner. 1t Is a large spacious room |
with an ante-room which is used by
the minority leader as his office I
There the Missouri statesman may be |
found every morning at 10:30 O'Clock,
reading his mail. and answering cor
respondence, which is anything but a |
light task. From the time he enters |
his office until he goes ON the floor to |
be present at the opening Of the ses-
sion OF the house, he seldom has an
idle moment. First one then another |
member drops In to discuss the pro-
gram for the day. or to tell him of the |
status Of important measures pending |
before several committees. Then the
men drop in to obtain the
views OF the minority leader on the l