The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1911-05-05
THE DO|NdS Of CONGRESS
Influenced by Approach Of the
Presidential Campaign.
CHAMP CLARK AT WORK
Trying to Establish Decorum in the
House.

House.
Washington, D. c.. April 29.-An
all summer congressional session With
great activity IN the House OF Repre-
| sentatives and with characteristic
inactivity In the Senate is fore
shadowed. The senate is not yet
organized. The house promptly com.
pleted its organization, passed the
Canadian reciprocity bill, and has
presented and partially debated the
so.called farmers free list bill. AS
is we'll known, there are complications
and side issues. The presidential
question, the nomination coming of
next year, has much influence In
politics and in legislation at the
Capitol. There appears as yet but
little opposition to the nomination Of
President Taft by the Republicans
for second term. Straws appear to
indicate on the Democratic side
turning in favor of Gov. Woodrow
Wilson Of New Jersey. The only
apparent active opposition to Presi-
dent Taft is from the adherents Of
Senator La Toilette. The friends Of
the Senator are active aud aggressive
! and there is of course no telling what
the next twelve months may bring
forth.
Speaker Clark is making an effort
to reform the manners Of the House
of Representatives and he has
! smashed two hard wood gavels in the
cause. There are other gavels, how
ever, 10 his locker, and the country
no doubt wishes him success and will
give him credit for his effort whether
!, he succeeds or not. Visitors to
] Washington who are SO fortunate as
| to go into the house gallery are al
ways surprised at the confusion and
! noise on the floor. Members OF con.
gress are talking, writing, smoking,
/ joking and moving about on the floor
and it is almost impossible to hear
the member who is trying to make
speech. In the midst OF such con-
fusion, no one wonders that a mem
Der some years ago made himself
famous by saying .'Mr. Speaker,
where was at?' The present speak
er OF the house was no doubt men,
ber OF debating society when he was
a little boy, and recollects what
beautiful order was maintained there
and how much better they knew and
practiced parliamentary etiquette
than they do 10 the debating society
over which he now presides. He Is
now insisting that parliamentary
forms must be respected by congress
4 men who desire to interrupt the
IOrator who has the floor He insists
that there snail be no loaflng In the
aisles, that smoking must be stopped
and that courtesy must be shown the
member who has the floor and Is try
ing to make himself heard. Our
congre is probably the only legis-
latiyc body in the world that has
separate desks before each seat like
children 10 the public schools. Sooner
or later doubtless we will adopt the
English plan Of having the members
sit on seats without desks and that
will probably do much to abate such
. confusion as at present exists. Then
the enlarged house membership will
not seem so unwieldy.
A bill for one cent postage backed
by the administration may be Intro.
duced in the present extra session and
, Ii not it will almost certainly be
brought up Ia the regular session
The Postmaster General will continue
to urge the increase of rates on sec0nd
class matter from one to four cents Z
pound. The postal service has beer
: extended and over three Thousand new
postof1lces have been established.