The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-04-08
ALL ABOARD FOR
63O CONGRESS
Public Anxious to See What
- ;. !: viii Happen.
DEMOCRATS HAVING TURN.

DEMOCRATS HAVING TURN.
No Lottery For Seats In House-Sen.
ate, Complete For First Time In Sew
eral Years and With Ninety six
Members, Is Bigger Than Ever Be-
fore-Lewis Expected to Be Active.
BY ARTHUR W. DUNN.
Washington. April s.-(SpeciaI.l -All
aboard for the Sixty-third congress!
For the first time in twenty years the
Democrats have full control. and every
body Is waiting to see what they will
do. The house has had two years I'M
der Democracy, and the leaders have
become trained in their new jobs The
senate Is just beginning, although the
Democrats had ten days in which to
try themselves out as managers of that
body. But now they begin work in
earnest. regular legislative work of far.
reaching Importance.
The organization of the house will
not occupy as much time as usual, for
there will not be the usual lottery for
seats. The roll will be called upon the
election of the speaker as BEFORE and
when Champ Clark takes the chair the
first day will be about completed, save
the choice of the ways and means COM
mittee. which is also a matter of form.
as the caucus has already acted.
Senate IL Complete.
For the first time In several years
the senate is complete In its member
ship. the swearing in Of James Hamil-
ton Lewis and L. Y. Sherman from
Illinois making nfnety-six members,
the highest number of senators which
the senate has known. 1t is likely that
MANY years will pass before we see the
number more than ninety-six, US there
are no new states in prospect.
1t is expected that Senator Lewis
will be the same picturesque character
In the senate that he was in the house
and that he has been in public life
ever since he first burst upon the vi
sion Of the American people. predict
for him q remarkable career as Il sena
tor, for he has brains and willingness
to use them.
House Much Changed.
"It looks like a church" was the
comment Of Champ Clark when he
looked over the house after the bench
es or chairs had been substituted for
the desks and chairs which have been
there ever since the house was first
organized. II think they will like it"
was the further comment of Clark,
they" meaning the members Of the
house
/. ut looks like an opera house from
the gallery" was the comment of one
Of the habitues of the south end Of the
capitol. And he was right The seats
rise tier upon tier. and the place has
a theatrical look rather than like a
church. as suggested by the speaker.
Tho Seat Problem.
Az there Is no selection Of seats there
will be problem for those members
who are not regularly In attendance.
It is. expected that such leaders as I'm
derwood. Fitzgerald, Mann and a few
others will be accorded certain seats
which will be permanent. so that
they may not be compelled to occupy
them all the time In order to hold them.
As to the others. 1t will be FIRST
come first served" and the regular at
tendants Of the sessions will have the
best seats when anything big breaks
out
Plenty Of Material.
It has already been demonstrated
that there Is plenty for the commit
tees, to do, as the bills introduced are
intended to cover all the troubles that
exist in this country and some that
exist elsewhere.
Bills are the principal product OF the
drst days Of the session, and naturally
all the old bills which failed In the
last congress have been put In the
hopper for the Slxty-third congress.
In addition there are many more to
meet new conditions.
Fixing the Floods.
Next to the tariff members OF con-
gress are just now more interested In
dood legislation than anything else.
Members from the states which have
been 30 sorely afflicted with high wa
ter are hoping to have this session
consider measures which viii prevent
such disasters IN the future Practical
as well as impractical propositions
have been presented.
We have advocates OF stronger and
higher ievees along the navigable
streams: men who say that the levees
should be moved farther back In order
to give more room for the high water:
men who say that the river and har
Dor system as to rivers has been a
failure and new plans should be tried
Altogether the food situation presents
u problem which Is hard to solve and
one which may attract great deal OF
attention right at the beginning Of the
session.
Overman, Room Clerk.
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