The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-12-26
PLAN TWO REFORMS
DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE ALI
BILLS STAND ON THEIR OWN
MERITS.
NO MORE RIDERS OR JokERs
Bill Writing Bureau TO Be Created
Which Will See That Measures
Do Not say One Thing While
Meaning Another.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Two reforms have
been decided upon by the Democrat
&c majority In congress, and seem
ingiy the party men are sincere In
their promises that hereafter all bills
shall stand on their own merits az
Legislative propositions, and that SO
far as human judgment can make II
possible. no paragraph Of a bin seem.
ingiy meaning one thing. but really
meaning another shall be allowed to
become a part of the law OF the
land.
The day of riders" on appropria-
ton bill soon will be done, and no
jokers' hereafter will find a place
In any congressional legislation II
the dominant party succeeds In es-
tablishing these reforms and keeps
within the strict rule of them, the
opportunities for evil enactments will
lessen and the courts will have much
less to do.
| PRESIDENT Wilson, apparently, took
note OF the criticism which came be-
| cause OF the inclusion In the sundry
civil bill of the provision intended to
save labor unions and farm organiza-
tons from prosecution on charges Of
violating the antitrust laws. He was
compelled either to veto the appropri-
alton bill or to sign 1t with the OBJ
noxious clause included. He signed
It. The Democratic members of con-
gress apparently also have felt the
criticism of their action in I 5 case,
and the legislative policy which they
are about to adopt to keep other
riders of of ppropriation bills. they
seem to believe will make amends for
past misdemeanors.
II the Democrats. when they first
came into power, had adopted the
rule which they are now planning to
put into effect there probably would
nave been no chance to violate the
civil service rules In the appointment
OF persons who will do work In con-
nection with income tax collections.
It was rider which enabled the
Democrats to supply good many OF
the faithful with offices without the
necessity of undergoing examinations
IA to their fitness.
Currency Bill Strengthened Out.
Not long ago q Chicago man came
to Washington and went to Senator
Owen. chairman of the senate COM
mittee on banking and currency. He
had with him copy OF the house
currency bill of which he made care
full study. He pointed out nearly 100
cases of ambiguous language. The
errors were corrected, but the chances
are that some of them escaped the at
ention of the analyst.
Now 1t is the intention OF the Dem
Gratis to create what may be called
bill writing bureau. 1t will be Gre
ted by an act of congress and there
fore taken out of the field of simple
legislative policy. The Democrats
cannot bind subsequent congresses
to promise to keep riders" off the
appropriation bills. but they can make
a bureau which will exist until It is
abolished by an act of congress. This
bureau. despite its name. will not
write for congressman, but 1t will
take bills which have been written
and apply to them the test of in
depreciation. In other words. the bu-
reau will see that the bills while say
Ing one thing do not mean another.
The elimination OF the rider" and
the Joker" will establish two sub
stantial reforms in legislation, and If
the Democrats carry out their plan
they probably will get good bit OF
credit even though, before the reform
streak showed itself. they had VIC
lated several times both the spirit and
the letter of the rule and the law
which they now intend to put into Oh
Grafton.
SuffragRts Are Urgent.
Congress is still under pres |
sure from the women suffragists |
mission to the states of an amend. |
ment to the constitution giving women
the right to vote. 1t may be that con- |
gress again will turn a non.hearing
ear to the appeals of the women. but
no one in Washington who has obsery-
ed the progress of recent events seems
to doubt that eventually the law.
makers will provide the necessary
t.AOAJ Aoi the SUBMISSION or the
question to the people of the country
for a decision.
Inc hrst suffrage movement began
In the east. For years 1t was little
more than joke, The effort to OBJ
tain votes for women finally found
neid for activity in the far west and
the seed which was planted ON the
Atlantic coast ripened. sprouted into
plant life and bore its fruit in the
west country. The progress of the
spirit OF the movement was from east
10 west, while the progress OF achieve
ment has been from west to east.
Recently in Washington the suffra.
sists OF the country held their con-
Vention. The attitude of the residents
OF this city and OF the lawmakers to-
wards the sutfragists is entirely differ
emit from what it was some years ago.
In TACT, only four years ago the ma.
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