St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-06-05
CONGRESS IS PUZZLED
LOrimer Refuses to Resign and
Will Not Come Back to be
Kicked Out.
Washington, June 3.

beginning on the seventh month
Of the session with the end not yet in
sight we who are so long banished
from home and the garden find
some degree of consolation in Sem
ator Pages favorite hymn which he
81 frequently and cheerfully quotes:
When we've been here ten thous-
and years,
Bright, shining as the sun,
Wen have more days to sing His
praise,
Than when we first begun"
The better the day the more mer-
itorious the deed, and so the senate
sat right through Memorial Day and
rolled up a good days work. Being
much nearer the end of it's labors the
House took a day off and went to see
the ball game. The senate had not
done much of anything during the
along with a weary discussion by
two or three of the steel schedule
CT the tariff, but the takers finally
ran down Thursday and permitted a
final vote on it.
Whereupon it passed by a vote of
IS to 22 The majority vote was all
democratic, and it was made by dem
ocrats in both houses from end to
end. After arguing for two weeks
in favor of his substitute bill Sena-#
tor Cummins only commanded II
votes on the showdown, one of these
being given by Senator Page. This
substitute was the insurgent COM
promise between the straight demo-
tic and straight republican poll
cies, and the democrats and regular
republicans voted against it to a
man.
The passage of this schedule also
included an amendment to it repeal
ing the reciprocity act of last seas
sion, which has been encumbering
the senate calendar ever since Can
ada squelched it. The act was re-
Dealed in its entirety, which also in
GUIDED the wood pulp and print pap
err section. This, not being depend
ent on the action of Canada.
Of the % votes registered in op-
position more than one-half we: e
from the insurgent senators, usly
about 10 regular republicans voting
in order to make a quorum. WITH
the exception of a few democratic
amendments the bill went to the
president as it came from the dem
HOuS6, anu that liz Will
promptly veto the measure is taken
for granted by all parties.
Will Take Up Appropriations.
After this measure was disposed
Of the senate made the chemical
schedule the unfinished business be-
fore it, but this is comparatively I'M
important and would not consume
much time in debate. 1t is likely,
too, that the senate will now devote
itself to the consideration of those
appropriation bills which are before
it, These have precedence over any
thing else, and they will be gotten
out of the way before much more
time is frittered away over tariff bills
which are not expected to become
laws at this session under any Cir
cumstanceS.
Many Pension Bills.
After the passage of the steel bill
Thursday the senate went at the &C
emulation of big pension bills on
the calendar and in an hours work
cleaned them all up. These includ-
ed, besides the regular annual ap-
preparation bill severallar omnibus
bills, the whole aggregating about
$3.50, 100000. These never are de-
bated, and usually come at the end
of a daily session when only the SEN
ator in charge of them is present.
Lorimer Will Not Resign.
The only dark cloud which looms
formidably in obscuring the pros
pect of final adjournment in the
reasonably near future is that colos-
sal national nuisance known as the
Lorimer case. The senate is away
up in the air out of sight as to
what to do with this. Lorimer evil
IDENTIFY will not resign, an end which
would relieve and rejoice both
friends and enemies beyond express
sion, and reputable physicians for
ward certificates to the effect that
his condition is such that a journey
here will endanger his life. Under
such circumstances the senate can
hardly force an Immediate vote in
his absence. Common decency-l
tc say nothing of ordinary courtesy
to a colleague allows that,
20 say nothing of the unprecedented
proceeding of trying man in his
unavoidable absence.
The demand that final action in
he premises at this session be taken
seems to be imperative, but it is !
likely that the senate will
remain in session indefinitely solely |
20 await his presence. The situa
ton is an intolerable one, and it is
likely that some drastic action be
taken in the near future which will
relieve it. The senate is more than
at the situation in which
il finds itself, but just how the knot
is to be cut is just now out of sight. |
House Nearly Done.
The house is so nearly at the end |
Of the sessions work that it could
wind up at three days notice, and
is becoming more and more impati- |
ent and unbearable of conditions in
the senate every hour. Nevertheless,
It now seems impossible to get away /
before the last of the month.
With all else in the way Of import |
ant and unavoidable work yet before
the senate are certain items in the
Ill "