The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-01-28
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gen.
eral Topics from
the Capital.
January 22. 1910

dludIy Y, 1910.
During the past week Washington has
had more than its usual complement of
Congresses, for besides the Chronic Con-
gress, or the one we always have with us
on the Hill, there has been here a Con-
gress of Governors Of the States and the
Civic Federation Congress. Inasmuch
as one Of these Congresses was composed
of the Governors of the States it is not
necessary to add that it was dstin-
guished gathering, but the Congress of
Civic Federation was also composed of
distinguished men whose names are
familiar to readers throughout the United
States. Both Of them were addressed by
the President and by Senator Root and
other distinguished men while members
and senators attend their meetings. They
were entertained at the White House, at
clubs and by residents of the city. When
President Taft appeared on the stage at
the first meeting of the Congress of Civic
Federation, he was received with enthu-
siastic applause and made happy ex-
temporaneous address. But the most
significant incident of the meeting was on
the following day when Mr.. Clifford
Pinchot was announced to address the
Federation on the subject of conserva-
ton. There can be no doubt that in this
distinguished representative assemblage,
he and the cause he represents is the one
nearest the heart of the people at the
present time. His address was admir-
able in that it was free from personalities.
He said in substance: "a plague on both
our Houses. Forget investigations, or at
least put them aside for the present and
lat 20
piracy of national resources and to enable
us to secure them for all the people and
for posterity."
1t will not be news to you that the
national government and Congress have
been impressed with the force and the
importance of the widespread movement
to reduce the cost of the necessaries of
life. This is, indeed, a vital question and
it appears to be permeating every nook
and corner of the country. There will be
Investigations by the Secretary of Agri-
culture and his many field experts, by
Congress and by learned and unlearned
throughout the country, and after investi-
cation has done its perfect work it will
probably be found that everybody knew
in the beginning the real causes of the
rise in the cost of food stuffs. Meanwhile,
if the people of the country have nerve
enough to continue the boycott on meats,
the price of this almost unnecessary
article of diet will come down while there
will be great, and in some instances, as
tonishing improvement in health and re-
lief from rheumatism and other uric acid
diseases. There is no doubt whatever
that the people of this country are the
most wasteful of all peoples in the matter
of food. They eat too much, they throw
away what would support an equal num-
Der of people of India, China or Japan
and there is not the least exaggeration in
the statement that the cost of what the
average man in America eats in one day,
would keep an inhabitant of China or
India in food for two weeks. This is
temperate statement. | know it TO be
true from personal observation on the
spot.
Whether one favors or disapproves fe-
male suffrage there can scarcely be but
one answer to the question OF a vociferous
suffragette who points to Congress and
asks, Gould any body of women waste
more time in words?" Congress with
more work laid out than could be accom-
plished in whole year of daily sessions
has as yet not even begun on one Of the
important items of its lengthy program.
Everything waits while the Insurgents
surge and Speaker Cannon smokes and
sits tight in the chair from which they
would pry him loose. The Ballinger-
Pinchot case which was to be ''investi-
gated, has not had preliminary airing,
and knowing Congress it is safe to pre-
dict that when it is introduced we will
have a repetition of the Brownsville inveS-
tigation, the taking Of endless testimony,
the examination of mnumerable witnesses
until the public will have forgotten the
original issue. The immigration Com
mittee hoped to spring a sensation on the
public bv its introduction of the White
Slave bill and few representatives have
worked themselves into fine fury over
it, but the public SO far as one can judge
it from the Capitol shows no acceleration
of pulse. Southern members embrace
the opportunity to saw the air and pow
wow about "the disgrace to our glorious
womenkind" but cooler blooded States
men and smart New York millionaires
lounge about and think reheetively upon
subjects not one half of which can be told.
In searching for an explanation of the
general ineffectiveneSs of Congress too
much stress cannot be laid upon the OBJ
vious fact that that body has become
huge social center and that the Congress
sional session is regarded more seriously
as a social season than period set aside
for the transaction of national busin ess.
Everyone is familiar with the fact that the
majority of members are engaged in
grinding their own axes and that many
are the tools of corporations that have
elected them, but aside from this it is
clear that social ambitions sap the energy
and spirit of practically all of them.
Washington has become a center of
fashion and extravaganza. The social
pace is set by yearly increasing colony
Of millionaires with nothing to do but
amuse themselves. Congressman whose
sole income is their salary are endeavor-
ing TO keep up and spending all their
money and much OF their energy in the
effort. In any other city they would not
attempt 1t, but having here vague social
position accorded them by reason Of their
Office they become infected by the pre-
vailing malady to be in the smartest set
Sees Democratic Victory.