The Harrison times., 1911-01-14

have no official standing. They In.
Quire as to why men who have not
been sworn in, who have never served
In the house, should be summoned to
Washington months in advance of
their actual Inauguration as members
of the hoase, and permitted to partici-
pate in the selection of ways and
means committee and 10 advise as to
the policy of the party on tariff revi-
sion.
There would be a greater meas
ure Of reason In this, except for the
fact that even we're the conference not
called these new men after December
next will possess all the powers of ad.
vice and direction with which Champ
Clark is willing to invest them unofti.
cially today. And moreover the OPP
portunity for a long season of work
by even an unofficial ways and means
committee during q vacation which
apparently will extend from the 4th
of March to the first Monday of next
December, ought not to be neglected,
New Members Paid From March 8.
1t seems elementary, but possibly a
good many readers do not understand,
that the salaries OF all these new con-
gressmen begin on the 9Th of next
March. Not merely their salaries be-
gin, but also their perquisites in the
way Of clerk hire, stationery and
everything else except mileage and
their offices in Washington, which can
only be assigned to them after the or
ganization of the house, whether they
work or loaf For this reason 1t seems
to be fair and just that committee
entrusted with preparing measure
by which it is intended to reduce tax.
alton and at the same time procure
the revenues by which these incoming
statesmen are to be paid, should be in
session during the summer season.
Problems Ahead Of Republicans.
What the returning Republicans are
going to encounter is matter Of imme-
diate Importance instead of considera-
ton Of a policy which is to be deferred
for months yet to come. The admins
tration has not yet given up It's hope
of enforcing such rigid economy as to
make a record which will be of value
in the next presidential campaign.
But when Mr., Tawney and Speaker
Cannon sought to suppress the report
on the unpreparedness of the United
States for war presented by Secretary
Dickinson, they made the sort of blum
der that politicians are always max
ing. :.
Personally | think the report was
piece of jingoism utterly uncaled for.
But its attempted suppression was of
course the surest way to give 1t wide
currency and cause it to be the thing
most talked about in political circles,
and it has in fact been more generally
discussed here in Washington than
any document emanating from fed
eral department In years past
Call for Pacific Coast Protection.
Out of this undesired publicity is
coming a demand for vastly in
creased appropriations for military
and naval purposes. Particularly will
this demand be made by the represent
atives from the Pacific coast 1t Is not
fair to ascribe purely mercenary mo-
tives to those who represent great
constituencies. AS Edmund Burke
once said Il know not how to draw
an indictment against q whole peo-
pie" And while there may be those
who are willing to sneer at the atti
tude of the Pacific coast congressman
who are pleading for more battleships
more forts, better harbor defenses and
larger military reserve on their side
Of the continent, | am not one of
them.
Undoubtedly there are some sci.
| fish, even mercenary interests in.
volved in this agitation. There is
much money to be spent In maintain
ing navy yards, building forts and
victualing battleships stationed off the
harbors of San Francisco, Los An.
geles or Seattle But nevertheless q
/
plausible excuse is raised for these
additional appropriations, and it is
made more plausible by the conf.
Dental report of the secretary Of war
which remained confidential for just
about eight hours after It was printed.
The Economy Issue.
1t seems as curious TO find suddenly
the head of the Republican party, the
president Of the United States, and
the chief leaders Of that party who
have always been very much inclined
to look with little patience upon
cheese pairing economy become adyo-
Gates of that policy. Mr.. Tawney
RACES up and down the center aisle
Of the house OF representatives striy.
Ing TO save little money at every point.
On the other hand the Democrats,
with only individual exceptions,
they being men not recognized as
national leaders, seem to pay
more attention to progress than
immediate economies. They be-
lieve, apparently, that the gov.
ernment should be carried on In
| that, tInn v,hIch tka.