The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-10-09
PART OF THE PROGRAM
First Duty In tho House VIII be to
Take the Lid off Of the Pork
Barrel for the Fam.
lshed Ones.
UNITED Press Special Service. /

United Press Special Service.
WASHINGTON, Oct 9.-With a
task as difficult as the one it has just
taken nine months to complete. con-
gress will meet on December to dis
pose of practically the same amount
of business in three months, and old
observers Of events at the capitol are
| predicting one of the most strenuous
sessions In years. If the wheels of
government are to go on, all the big
appropriation bills must be disposed
of before March 4. This year at that
date only one of them had passed
both houses. With the senate republi-
can and the house democratic, and
the leaders of each showing little dis
position to work in harmony with the
| heads of the other branch, there may
be many night sessions before con
gress is wound up by statutory limi-
/ tation.
This condition Of affairs will pre-
vail, according to the best opinion
here, irrespective Of the result of the
presidential election No matter
1
candidates is elected, it is being pre-
dicted that the senate and house will
show the same hostility to each other
which has marked their deliberations
to date.
i Added to the mammoth amount of
routine business that must be tran
sacted, the senate has on It's hands
the Archibald impeachment trial. The
present plan is to start this trial i'm
mediately upon the beginning of the
session. The most conservative es-
Inmates are that the trial will con-
sumo month. Judge Archibald, ac-
cording to the latest reports, is to
fight to the finish and there is little
possibility of his relieving the senate
of the duty of trying him by resign
ing. The house committee of prose-
cutors will have to call large num-
Der of witnesses just t. present their
case. They are ready to go ahead
with 1t any time. The Archibald de-
Tense may consist largely Of what
the lawyers call character testi-
monye This can be dragged out in
to an everlasting maze of detail if
Archbald's lawyers so decide. The
prosecutors are known to realize that
| they will have to carry heavy bur-
den In getting conviction by two
thirds vote of the senate and il they
see the case is going against them
they may be compelled to lengthen
their presentation of facts beyond
their present calculations.
The chief difficulty in passing ap-
preparation bills at the last session of
congress was due to the tendency to
1 tack on legislation of an important
character to them as riders. The
next set of these supply measures, it
/ is predicted, will be loaded down with
] the same old miscellaneous proyisos
i that restrict and revise the admins
i tration of many of the most impor-
tant functions of the government de.
partments. 1t would not be surpris.
! ing if in view of threatened exigencies
of the session, the leaders OF each
4 branch who are anxious to get legis-
lation to the statute books would
more than ever before resort to ap-
preparation bills as carriers OF their
Legislative projects In this case a
great batch of conference reports
would be held up until the very last
day Of the session and the crop of
"jokers" and accidental legislation
would bid fair to reach new high
record mark
The first duty of the house man
ayers will be to open the pork bar
rel" Congressman whose appetite has
been whetted by lack Of appropria-
tons at the last session, will cIamor
/ loudly for public buildings for their
respective districts. They have been
promised a pork barrel" and 1t will
be the duty of the leaders to dole
out the pork" This will be a Job
full of dynamite for the house public
buildings committee.
An attempt will he made to revise
the patent laws. The house patents
committee which has been investigat-
ing this subject, has drafted tenta-
tive bill. but it is recognized that this
bill must be redrafted and more hear
inss held. The senate has not begun
consideration of this subject at all.
4 The senate must ratify a new treaty
with Russia. The troublesome pass
port question will come up for long
discussion.
4 The whole Panama canal toll ques-
ton involving the rights Of foreign
shipping to use the canal, will prob
ably be reopened and be fruitful of
1 long debate
The democratic majority in the
house will attempt to pass trust CON
troll legislation, based on the report
of the Stanley steel committee.
A movement will probably be start
ed to cut the naval appropriation so
| as to include only one battleship. On