The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-12-22
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.
Washington. December 20, 1911.


A sharp division of sentiment among
Senators regarding service pension legls.-
lation, protests against large congressional
expenditures. the Russian treaty question,
continued investigations and enactment
of the Urgent Deficiency bill into law will
keep Congress busy this week Both
houses will adjourn next Thursday until
January g. Plans are going toward for
what promises to prove congestion OF
legislation after the recess.
The Sherwood ''dollar-a day" pension
bill, which the House has passed, prob
ably will not find an easy way in the Sen
ate. Senator Gore, of Oklahoma. a
leading Democratic member of the Pen
sions Committee, already has started an
inquiry into the possibility of poStponing
action until next session, when there will
be no presidential election In the House
proceedings on the Sherwood bill, the
effect upon either party of marked llber-
ality to the Mexican and civil war veter-
ans, aggregating possibly SIS 900, 900 ulti
mately, was a conspicuous factor. and
Senator Gore contends that the subject
will not be so popular in Congress after
the presidential election.
Senator McCumber, chairman of the
L CilSlOllS SOlliiiittCCs WiliC iOt NOiiliilil-
ting himself to the Sherwood BILL today
expressed the opinion that some general
pension legislation would be enacted dur
ing this session of Congress.
1--WE should do now what we are going
to do regardless of politics." he said. He
thinks congressional ction should depend
on the state of The Ire lsury and has taken
steps to ascertain that and to determine
what various plans or legislation might
cost. Secretary Of the Interior Fisher is
investigating the cost
The House Democrats will caucus on
a number OF pending questions, probably
soon after the,receSs. The leaders con-
tend that the economy program must be
maintained, that some of the demands of
committees and Democratic members for
appropriations must be refused, but in
such way as to. avoid party dissenson.
The pension bill already passed by the
House. carrying from $40, ooo. 600 to SIS
ooo, 900; the demand OF the public build
, ings committee for an omnibus measure
to carry between SIS, 900, 900 and $50, ooo,-
900, and other large drafts on the Treas
urv have complicated the situation.
Democrats Lead Underwood insists
that the public building bill shall not be
put through III: wa Of the investigat-
my ComuI ccS also i pling up expense
accounts.
rhe I.,rlff Board report is expected
from the President This week, but the
| Ways aud Means Committee probably
will not recommend action on wool or
other schedules until after the recess, but
will then proceed vigorously. The Demo-
Gratis were not agreed last summer as to
the raw wool tariff, many favoring free
raw wool. This question, Trust legiSla-
ton and other things will be considered
in caucus. The proposed plan to open
the caucus to the public has developed
! strenuous opposition from those Demo
Gratis who believe party differences should
be settled behind closed doors
| All the witnesses who will be heard in
the defense of Senator Lorimer, except
Mr.. Lorimer himself, will appear before
| the Senate investigating committee this
week. and the committe will then adjourn
to meet after the Christmas recess. when
| Senator LorImer will testify under oath
for the first time.
| The Steel Trust investigating committee
! of the House and the Senate Committee
on Interstate Commerce, which is Investi-
eating Trust problems, will be in session
this week
Senator Porter ]. McCumber, OF North
Dakota, as the chief speaker at the twelfth
annual banquet of the Society OF May
| flower Descendants in the District of CO.
| lumbia, sounded warning against the
tendency of the American people 10 drift
from the path OF morality that made great
the founders of the Republic; to disregard
life. law and property, and to strive solely
for the things that made tor material adj
vancement He declared we must return
to the old spirit OF Puritan belief in self
government and self-control if we are to
realize the full purpose and meaning Of
national liberty
"When | see murderesses lifted to
| stardom behind the footlights 10 assail our
sense Of decency, the mob spirit rampant
and the muckraker tearing down our be-
lief in business institutions, pray for 4
return to the old pilgrim philosophy and
their integrity of character as the only con
servator of American liberties" said the
Senator.
Howard L. Atkinson former secretar,
to Senator Frank o. Briggs, Of New Ter
sey, died here from the effects of frac
tured skull sustained in fall from street
car. AT the time of the accident it wa.
not thought that Mr.. Atkinson was ser
iously injured His home was in Trenton
N. ].
The Supreme Court Of the United State:
will adjourn Friday until Monday, January
8 Much of the time of the Justices dur
ing The recess will be devoted to prepar
ing opinions in cases.
Major General Leonard Wood favor.
the restoration of the canteen to army
posts, declaring in his annual report tina
the consensus of opinion in the army i.
that the canteen should be re- established
He also says it is necessary to provide
garrisons to protect the Panama Cana
and insure its neutrality. and for that ht
recommends IL companies Of coast artil
lery, four regiments of infantry at full
strength one battalion oi field artillery
one squadron OF cavalry and some aux
iliary troops.
Domestic Animals in Cities and
Towns.
The latest report of the Bureau o
the Census on domestic animals in thu
cities and villages of the United States,