The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1910-05-27

OI a sim ludiis OCtldJOl NSA1$s VI
= Georgia, is about the most active anC
|, useful member of congress We have
ever SEEM" commented The Washing
= ton Herald last week. abiding to the
Senator's successful assault on the
railroad bill The comment was true
and, moreover, Senator Clay merited
= the praise. He Is recognized as one OF
the most resourceful and vigilant mem
bers of the United States senate, and
his record of work since he returned
to Washington has been remarkable.
Despite his i'll health, Senator Clay
has not missed a session of the senate
since he reached Washington on Feb
ruary list He has been in his seat ey-
cry day at noon, when the presidents
gavel fell and he has remained con-
tinuously on the job until the senate
adjourned Furthermore-and more
important, also-Senator Clay has not
missed a meeting of one of his COM
mittees since his return to Washing
ton. Few of the able-bodied hale and
/ hearty statesmen who sit in the Unit
ed States senate can point to such a
/ record.
i; !; i;
The junior senator from Georgia has
had a tough time of it. He has suf-
fered as few men suffer, but he has
held duty above comfort, contrary to
the advice of friends, and has found
his way to the capitol every day there
has been a session of the senate, pains,
aches and sleepless nights to the con-
trary, Notwithstanding
A senator has a wider field than a
representative in congress. He repre-
sents an entire state, and upon him de-
wolves the duty of guarding the inter
ests of all. His correspondence is nat
urally heavy, and the demands upon
his time by visiting constituents and
departmental clerks from his state
are many. All of this must be attend
ed to before, or after the senate meets,
and it must not interfere with a sena-
tors committee work.
Senator Clay has kept jam-up with
his correspondence, attended to every
request, has looked after visiting con-
stituents and met the demands of Geor-
gians in government departments
and he has done much of it when he
was so sick as to scarcely be able to
hold his head up.
X X X
The appropriation committee is the
most important body of congress. 1t
provides the means to keep the ship
of state sailing on. The government
spends, now, over a billion of dollars
annually
Senator Clay helps hold the keys to
Uncle Sans money box-the box from
which comes the billion dollars every
year. The Republican party, being in
power, controls the expenditure, but
the Democrats see that it is not di-
verified from its proper channels; that
is, they see to it in so far as it is pos
sible.
During the present session of CON
gress, Senator Clay has been the only
Democrat to regularly attend the meet
ings of the appropriations committee.
The others were sick" 1t is hardly
likely that any of them were much
sicker than Senator Clay, but they
were sick enough to stay at home.
The senator has attended every
meeting of the appropriation commit
/ tee, and he has scanned closely and
! studied carefully every provision in
/ every bill for the expenditure of mon
| ely that came before the committee
His rigid ideas of economy in govern.
mental expenditures have been urged
persistently before the committee, and
it is recorded that there has been lit
tie extravaganza.
He is the ranking minority member
of the pOstotfice committee, and the
records of the committee show that
he has not missed a meeting since his
return from Georgia 1t might also
be stated that the senator sought tC
increase the pay of the rural carriers
but was voted down.
kl4 4
Shortly after his return from Geor
gia, in February, it was brought to the
senator's attention that the weather re
ports were not being sent South, be
cause the bureau claimed that its APP
preparation for the dissemination o
this information had been exhausted
Senator Clay believed the fruit grow
ers of Georgia should have the benef
of this information, and he secured al
J amendment to the agricultural appro
priation, making it possible for the bu
, reau to furnish the Information.
The Farmers Union found no NOR,
, willing friend than Senator Clay, &C
cording to President Chas. S. Barrett
who has been in Washington. The Sen
ator indicated his sympathy with tn,
movement to suppress gambling il
farm products, and even now he ha
pending in the senate a bill that will
: accomplish this desired result, in tn
event of its passage.