St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-07-12
CONGRESS DALLYING.
Senate Puts Off Action on the
Reciprocity Bill Long as Pos
sible in the House.

Fof four days and nights the only
sleep or rest I obtained was an oc-
casiona1 siesta on our committee
room couch, under the soothing in
1uence of two electric fans. Their
mometers on the street in the sun
were exploding at about 125 degrees,
and in the so-called shade" they
cayorted around LOS night and day.
But why dwell on this narrowing
tale? think, from the Newspaper re-
ports up there, that you catch the
idea.
The senate was not in session till
Wednesday, and then appeared In
bed temper and dishabille. This last
is a New Jersey word, signifying
crash trousers and palm leaf fan.
But 1t got busy. The seething ora
tors talked of ships and shoes and
sealing wax and cabbages and
kings" like the wa1rus in alice in
Wonderland Occasionally some
thing was said bearing on the tariff,
but it seemed likely to breed discus
sion and so was not encouraged.
Meantime, the House has not been
in session. 1t seems to know better.
It's ways and means committee an
nounces that it has begun to whittle
out cotton schedule, and they will
have this in shape to put through the
Ho. go in a few days. The House in
its broad aspect has very little to
say about it. The committee will re-
port something which has the gem
eral appearance of bill, the House
the democratic majority-will be
ordered to swallow it, the gag rule
will be applied and it will soon be all
over but the shouting. Then it will
be sent over to the senate, without
any idea. that it will be acted on until
next winter. Then the House demo-
cracy will look wise and Yirtuous and
statesmanlike and make a noise like
honesty is the best policy. All for
political effect.
Meanwhile the senate pounds and
drones along, wearying and exasper-
ating itself and disgusting everybody
else by it's dillydaIlying and nerveless
procrastination. Reciprocity is worn
to shreds, the result is admitted and
inevitable, and yet the senate con-
tinues to dodge and evade In spite
of Its own better Judgment and the
outWorn patience of harassed
people. From the fact that it has now
begun its daily sessions at IL a. m.,
instead of the customary hour of
high noon we are encouraged to hope
that the end is not hope1essly distant,
and yet there is nothing tangible to
hang hope on.
The Fourth was certainly safe and
sane in Washington. Everybody who
had the price and the strength to get
out of town went somewhere and
what with the deadly heat and the
new order of things the day was as
quiet as North Danyille on a rainy
Sunday. Not horn was blown, not
a cracker was exploded, not an ur-
chin was blown up.
About Vermonters.
Senator Page, who spent the recess
interval of the senate from Friday to
Wednesday at his home in Hyde
Park was back on the job at the
moment the bell sounded for the re-
sumption of business, and when the
senate adjourned Saturday night de-
parted for his Office singing cheerily:
when we've been here ten thous-
and years.,
Bright shining as the sun,
There'l be more days to sing His
praise
Than when we first begun
1t begins to look like it, fact.
Senator Dillingham; is at his home
at Montpelier, where he will remain
until the Lorimer committee recon
venes Thursday. Representative
Plumley is in camp with his children
and their families at North Hero.
and will not return here until his
presence is needed. Representative
Foster was here through last week.
but will now go to his. home in Bur-
ington for the present.
With this brief synopsis will
leave you for week, hoping for the
best but reconciled to the worst. The
latter has become a hahif