Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-08-08
WARY TIMES
IN CONGRESS
HAVE NO DELIGHT TO PASS AWAY
THE TINE EXCEPT TO SIT
AROUND OFFICES IN OFFICE
BUILDING.
MEXICAN SITUATIONN HAS ADD
ED SOME RELIEF TO THE GEN
ERAL WEAKNESS OF LIFE IN
THE BUG CITY.
(Spccial StdG COrrespOndcptO

Especial StdG COrrespOndeRt)
Wash ngton. ID. c.. Aug. S.-Thc pol
icy of tiddIing on but one or two strings
during the extra session Of congress has
curtailed activities here very much but
has undoubtedly contributed something
to the presidents successes Many con
gressmcn, to be sure, are grtmbling be
cause they have nothing to do, especial
| ly those from the far South and West.
who are too far awak to make trip
hame in the interim. In the morning
they sit around their ;llires in thr ,a
marble building, reading the mail and
exchanging visits. Thi ) occupation IN
shirt sleeves lasts up till noon. Now and
then a visit to the dcpartm"rts IN con
gressional errands fills in part of the
time. but during the afternoon there is
little else than the ball game.
But the country wOts Mt of all that
and cares nothing. People out in thc
states keep something # an eye upon
Washington. But the public is watching
only one thing at time. First it was
the tariff till the tariff became so tire
some, and the tariff became so tiresome'
about as soon as it was clear that Pres
ident Wilson had won with free wool
and free sugar. Then President Wilson
began to talk about currency. He had,
and probably still has, the attention Of
the voters at large much up II that mea
sure, which is just coming out of the
Banking and Currency committee and
which democratic caucus is about to
deal with.
In the meantime there has come up the
Mexican situation. At times it has over
topped both taric and currency in prom.
inencc. There is some question whether
this was not somewhat artificial. II in
terested parties had not manipulated
publicity. it is Il sucstiJn whether the
matter would have assumed the imporl
ance at Washington that it now has
Apart from these three things, however,
Washington has been a very dull city il
a news way There has been patronage,
of course: the bestowal of o$ic'; ha' CIV
en- congressman something ID lntcr
est themselves in Now and then house
committee has attempted IIttle work
On the naval committee are ncrouS
iunkct loving members, both democrats
and republicans They have been iunkct
ing to their hearts content this summer.
but bless YOU every man of them would
insist with his last breath that il was
in the interest Of the naval service. There
are junket loving members also on the
Rivers and HarbOrs Committee Of the
house and some nice little trips are be
ing arranged in that quarter. Somehow
or other the corresponding senate com
mittees manage to attend to their legis
lation without 50 much travelling and
look upon their house brethren going up
and down the land with silent c-ntcmpt.
However iunkets for congressman are
not as numerous as of y0re. There Is the
trip to Panama yet, praise be. and many
sores Of the free ride congressman have
gone thither twice and thrice till the
trip has no further novelty for them.
A great volume of local legislation is
in prospect 70 rthc next or regular seS
sion of congress- Every local bill means
more or less industry Oh the part Of the
congressman. particularly Interested, in
making ready. He would like to lay bis
pipes" now in advance if he. could. But
there is very little he can do. He can
work up the data for his public build
ing bills at the Treasury Department,
perhaps. He can visit the chief of Army
engineers and gather little information
ab ut the dredging Of the river that
flows through his district provided a
survey has been ordered. Occasionally
of cool evening he may get the ear Of an
idle colleague, who serves upon the Pub
lie Building ommittee. or the Rivers and
Harbors ommittce or the Appropriation
bill before the committee to the extent
Of having it favorably reported and plac-
ed upo nthe house calendar.
There it is that Nr. Congressman is
doing pile Of loafing in WaShington on.
unless his home is 50 near he can HE
away, attend 10 >onic bG>iIe>S apl re
turn here whenrytr tEcr1 is any cal. for
his services. For while absenteeism is
becoming quite an evil with Il house of
becoming quite an evil with L house Of
i23 members and ma 1ritv If demo
Gratis that is twice the size Of the repu5
lican minority few men like to stay away
- long tn her is likely to be corl-
ment about ii in their home papers. 7:
has been 4 irving t'mr nm representa-
tives for they have now been in Washing