Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-11-12
ITEMS OF INTEREST
AT NATIONS CAPITAL

Echoes OF the Vacant Chamber.
AT recent meeting of the
House of Representatives which is
comprised of four hundred and
thirty-five congressman, it was
found that they were all there ex-
cept four hundred" The Republi-
cans have been criticising the idle
ness of the House, where, although
the members have been in session
since last April, very little has been
done outside of three or four weeks
of sessions for the tariff and cur
rency bills. This, of course, was
aside from the work of the Ways
and Means and the Banking and
Currency Committees. The Repub-
lican leader, Mr.. Mann, in speaking
of the absentees, said that it may
be that some members think that
when they are elected to Congress
their duties cease when they pre-
sent their certificates of election. .
Representative Towner of Iowa,
cannot find any justification in the
idling in the House, and he declares
that I'VE ought either to adjourn
or go to work" Towner insists that
there is not the slightest possibiii-
ty of the currency bill being passed
at this session. Representative
Baker, a California Democrat, ex-
planned the peculiar condition in
Congress by asserting the purpose
OF the majority to be to refuse to
take up any other legislation which
might distract the countrys at
tention, but to rivet and fix it up
on the currency legislation that the
people are demanding and insisting
on" He says that Mr.. Mann and
his followers are simply playing
politics. and that lit was the in
tent when this Congress convened
to pass a tariff bill?'
He thinks that lit was the pur-
pose and intent also to pass a cur
rency bill" He says now that the
House should wait while the Sen
ate completes it's work. Leader
Mann, who is always full of argu-
ment, and sometimes bubbling over
with sarcasm, remarked that the
present situation in the House of
Representative is peculiar, and he
adds; I'VE may lead a horse to
water, but we cannot make him
drink" Elucidlting this old law
he says that if the absent ones
could be compelled to return to
Washington, they could not be
compelled Ito do business" IF this
Democratic Congress would now
adjourn until the fourth of March
year after next adds Mr.. Mann,
leaving the country to itself, it
would confer upon the land the
greatest patriotic favor within it's
power. Next TO that, to declare
that it will not do any business is
probably nearest to patriotism. y
However, the Republican leader re-
minded his colleagues that there
was pending before the House an
immigration bill, needed injunc-
ton bill, trial by jury for con-
tempt bill, a seaman's involuntary
seryitude bill, the great trust prob
lem, land a hundred or more ques-
tions OF immense importance"
Control by the Executive.
Senator Cummins of Iowa stirred
up something of hornets nest by
a political speech in the New Jer-
sey campaign, in which he CRITICS.
ed the control of Congress by Pres
ident Wilson. Senator Martins of
New Jersey assumed to scold Mr..
Cummins for his speech The Of
fense-if there was one, was ex-
planned by Senator Cummins to his
colleagues as a protest upon the
tendency OF the Executive to trench
and to invade the domain reserved
by the Constitution for Congress"
The Iowa Senator asserted that in
his opinion that tendency unfor-
grows from year to year"
To make it clear that his remarks
were not personal the Senator re-
called the fact that he had CRITICS.
ed both of the former Presidents,
Roosevelt and Taft, upon the same
score. Senator John Sharp Will
liams of Mississippi, and Senator
Owen referred 10 the reading of the
Presidents message by Mr.. Will
son, as having been described by
the press as message from the
throne. He denied that the Pres
ldent had used 1.-The big stick" and
the position of Sena-
tor Cummins and others as actual
ed by jealous partisanship. Speak
er Champ Clark of course, had to
nave his say about the matter, and
issued a statement giving his o. X.