The Western news., 1910-09-30

From. La Follette'S Weekly Magazine.
The postal savings bank bill was
allowed to lie as thing dead for near
ly three months in the house commit
tee to which it was referred The
anxiety of congressman and senators
and of the administration was allowed
to develop to the keenest pitch. Mean
while a bill acceptable to Wall street
and the system was devised--a bill
differing in every fundamental princi-
pie from the bill which the senate had
passed. A republican caucus was
called in the house for it's considera-
ion. The political Importance of pass
ing a postal bank bill-any kind of a
postal bank bill-was urged upon
members. The united protests of pro-
gressive and Independent congress-
men were scarcely heard in the caucus
above the din of the system machines.
Their amendments in the public inter-
est were voted down. The system
managers consummated their plans.
They got the republican caucus in
dorsement for their system bill.
On June the caucus bill was re-
ported to the house as an amendment
in the naure of a substitute for the
senate bill. Forthwith Dalzell report
ed from the committee on rules a spe-
cial rule for its considration The
rule provided for eight hours of gen.
eral debate in the house, at the con-
clusion of which the minority would
be permitted to offer an amendment
in the naure of a substitute for the
caucus bill reported by the committee
"Thereupon' said the rule, "the pre-
viOus question shall be considered as
ordered on the minority's amendment
to the substitute on the subject itself.
and on the bill to final passage, with
out delay, intervening motion or ap-
peal except a motion to recommit."
The system leaders" served notice
on the membership of the house that
they could adopt this rule and agree
to it's gag procedure or they could 20
home to their constituents and answer
for their failure to pass a postal bank
bill. 1t was pressed upon them that by
attending the caucus they were bound
amendment except the minority
amendment the defeat of which by
party vote was forgone certainty,
could be made; no effort to perfect the
bill would be allowed; not even an ap-
peal from the decision of the chair
was to be PRINTED Discussion of the
bill would be to no purpose. The sys-
tenn said frankly and brazenly, you
may take this bill or nothing"
And the house took it,
The rule was agreed to and the bill
was passed accordingly And 50 the
house substitute came back to the SEN
ate
1t was narly the middle of June. The |
time was at hand when the system
figured, congress by common consent
would be abott ready to adjourn, to
get away from tie oppressive heat of |
a Washington sulumer and to get home
to look after political fences. In tim
ing the denoEement the outcome
showed hat tn2 system figured we'll
The bill reached the senate on the
11th of June. In the senate the usual |
procedure would be, as in all important
measures, for the senator in charge
of the bill move that the senate dis
agree with the house amendment and |
ask for conference to adjust the diff
ferenceS between the two houses. The
house bill passed differed radically |
in very important essential from the
measure which the senate had passed. !
And every difference was in deroga-
ton of what the senate in weeks of de-
liberation had emphatically declared
to be the public interest in this legis-
lation.
Where the senate bill had provided
that every money order postoffice in
the country should be a postal deposi-
tory, the house bill opened wide the.
door of importantly and influence and
favoritism by leaving to the board of
trustees the designation of such post
offices as the board might select to be
postal savings banks.
Where the senate bill had provided
for the deposit of postal savings funds
in the localities where they were
owned, with the investment of such
funds in government bonds only in an
exigency affecting the public credit
and upon the authority of the presi-
dent of the United States, and in no
event in bonds bearing less than two
and one-fOurth per cent interest, the
house bill provided outright that 80
per cent of such funds might, at the
pleasure of the board of trustees, be