Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-08-21
WASHINGTON LETTER
Weekly Letter From Our Special
Correspondent.
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL.
Brief Items of Interest to Iowa PeO-
pie, Written by an Iowa
Man.

Washington, d. c., August 10, 1912.
Senator Kenyon has been made
chairman of the Senate committee
on expenditures in the war depart
ment.
Senator Mark Smith of Arizona has
notion that the abolition of the
Congressional Record would do away
with the long sessions of congress.
He believes that members desiring
to speechify should be required to
hire reporters and print their re-
marks at their own expense.
The Nevada warden who is having
his trouble finding some one to exec
ute man under death sentence
ought to apply to the gun men of
New York.
Reports say that Legg of Mime
sofa defeated Middleton of Iowa for
the golf championship. He ought
TO if his name spells anything.
Because of strenuous objection on
the part of Senator Smoot, permis-
sion to print the speech of Repre-
sentative Taylor in behalf of woman's
suffrage as public document was re-
fused.
Still dilatory in the passage of ap-
preparation bills, congress has had
recourse again to the continuing"
resolution to tide over to September
/ those departments whose supply
bills are still pending.
BY a vote of 50 to II the demo-
Gratis Of the house in caucas have
agreed to support an appropriation
for one battleship in this years naval
program, and the senate is expected
to accept this compromise.
With the assistance of insurgent
republicans the democrats of the
house passed the steel bill over the
presidents veto by vote of 173 to
SO. Representatives Haugen and
Wood of Iowa, were among the six
teen republicans voting for the bill.
The Army appropriation bill, ve-
toed by the president because of per-
sonal legislation contained therein,
has been again passed by the senate
with the offensive provisions elm
mated. The measure carries an ap-
preparation of $94,0O0,O0O.
BY vote of SO to 10, the senate
has passed the house cotton bill, af-
ter voting down Senator La Follettes
substitute, representing the recon-
mendations of the tariff board. Mr..
La Toilette and eight other progress
sive republicans, including both the
Iowa senator's, joined with the demo-
Gratis in passing the bill.
"A complaisant senate has kindly
provided the campaign committees
of the various parties with ammuni-
tion by agreeing to print as public
documents the notification speech of
Senator Root and the acceptance of
Senator Taft, the notification speech
of Ollie James and the acceptance of
Governor Wilson, and the acceptance
speech of Colonel Roosevelt.
President Taft has signed a bill
which will enable settlers on recla-
nation projects to obtain patent and
water rights certificates, and there
fore a marketable title to their prop
erty, in three years, instead of ten
years, as under the old law. The
new law is intended to prevent the
holding of undeveloped land for spec
ulation.
BY vote of 121 to IL, the house
has ousted from his seat Represent
ative T. e. Catlin, of Missouri, re
publican, because of violation of the
Missouri law governing campaign ex-
penses. The charge against Mr.. Cat
lin was that he and his family had
spent $4,000 to elect him when the
law prohibited an expenditure by
candidates of more than $662.
Five boy scouts, of Burlington, Ia,
accompanied by scout master, ar
rived in Washington Thursday, hav-
ing covered the entire distance from
their Iowa home on bicycles. The
boys left Burlington June IL and COW
cred 500 miles, their itinerary in
GLIDING Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo,
Toronto, Albany, New York and
Philadelphia.
So far, Iowa is leading all of the
states in naming city delegations to
the fifteenth International Congress
of Hygiene and Demography. which
meets in Washington September 2S-
%. Burlington, Council Bluffs, Cres-
ton, Des Moines, Dubuque, Garner,
Glenwood, Grinnell, Harlan, Hamp-
ton, Iowa. City, Maquoketa, Ottum-
wa, Rock Rapids, Keokuk, and Wat
erloo will send delegates.
n "A Iatft