Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1913-10-24

Issued on Friday of Each Week.
Our Washington Letter.
One of the embarrassing things Mem
bers OF Congress will have to face i
their campaigns for reelection mex
year will be the necessity of explaining
their long absences from Washington
during the special session this summer
The House transacted considerable
business without a quorum, because
the point of no quorum was not made
When the issue finally was forced il
was found there was only small per
centage Of the membership in Wash
ington and kilograms were sent to the
absentees to return Immediately.
Five of the Republican members from
Iowa, Congressman Haugen of the
fourth, Good of the fifth, Prouty of the
seventh, Green of the ninth, and Scott
of the eleventh were back in Iowa,
when the first kilograms were sent,
and the sargeant- alarms was directed
to issue warrants for the arrest of the
absentees. When this did not bring q
quorum, although several members,
one of the Iowa Republicans, Prouty,
among them, returned, the sergeant
alarms was instructed to notify the
absentees again to return. Congress-
man Good, who recently had an attack
of typhoid fever was excused from
attendance because of the condition of
his health. "..
Congressman Sisson, of Mississippi,
in the debate before the adoption of
this motion again calling for a sum-
mons of the absentees, was bitter in
denouncing the members who were
back home.
"Let the order 60 out to the country
again to bring back the absent men,
bers," he said, land let the papers
carry it to the country again that they
were compelled to be brought back
here and stating that there has been
an order issued for the arrest of all
absent members. 1t seems to me the
membership of this House who have
remained here should be getting tired
of absenteeism.
Mr.. Sisson held it would serve good
purpose if ''notice goes out to the
country that members are not here
attending to their business. He said
that those of us who have been here
all the time are being punished by
members who are absent"
Congressman Pepper, Connolly and
Kirkpatrick, the three Democratic
members from Iowa were present on
ali the roll calls when it was sought to
get quorum and when sufficient mem.
bers finally were rounded up to pass
the urgent deficiency bill.
Congressman Pepper, of Iowa, secre.
tary of the Democratic Congressional
Committee, issued statement when
returns were received from the special
election in West Virginia to elect a
Congressman in which he declared that
the election of Medley, the Democratic
after campaign waged
solely on the tariff issue gave strong
endorsement of President Wilson's
and of the Underwood
tariff bill. The first West Virginia dis
trict had always been Republican un-
til President Wilson carried the state
last year over Roosevelt and Taft.
polling 47.71 per cent. of the vote of
the three candidates combined. In the
special election last week Medley, the
Democratic candidate had plurality
of 1913 over the Republican nominee,
and polled 49.67 of the total vote of
the three candidates, lacking only a
small number of a majority. 1.-THE
fact that this campaign was waged on
the tariff issue and that it was the first
election after the passage of the tariff
bill is significant as showing that the
people endorse the tariff" said MIR.
Pepper. The decline in the percentage
of the combined Republican and Prog
ressive vote, he said, would seem to
indicate that the practical extinction
of the protectionist sentiment in that
district is only matter Of time.
Iowa was honored by the visit of
Secretary of State Bryan to Waterloo
last week as 1t was virtually at the d.
rection of President Wilson th"t Mr.. |
Bryan went to Iowa to represent the
administration at the Dairy congress
and the accompanying political meet
ings. In getting the Secretary for a
speech in his district, Congressman
Connolly has added to the reputation
he has gained of being man to get
what he goes after. Secretary Bryan
had announced that he had confined
his speaking tours to his vacation
period and that he would make no
further speeches, but Congressman