Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-12-17
DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE ALL
BILLS STAND ON THEIR OWN
MERITS.
NO MORE RIDERS or IOKERS
Bill Writing Bureau 10 sc Created
Which win See That Measures
Dc Not Say One Thing While
Meaning Another
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


&c majority in congress, and seem
ingly the party men are sincere in
their promises that hereafter ali bills
shall stand on their own merits as
legislative propositions, and that so
TAR as human judgment can make it
possible. no paragraph of a bin seem
ln6ly meaning one thing. but really
meaning another shall be allowed to
become part of the law OF the
land
The day OF riders" on appropria-
ton bill soon will be done. and no
(okers' hereafter will find a place
10 any congressional legislation II
the dominant party succeeds in es-
taeiishing these reforms and keeps
within the strict rule of them. the
opportunities tor 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
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 this case
ana the Legislative policy which they
are about 10 adopt TO keep other
-.uers of OF appropriation bills. they
seem to believe will make amends for
past misdemeanors.
IL 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.
II was rider" which enabled the
Democrats 10 supply good many of
the faithful with offices without the
necessity of undergoing examinations
as to their fitness.
Currency Bill Strengthened Out.
Not long ago q Chicago man came
TO Washington and went TO Senator
mittee on banking and currency. He
had with him a copy of the house
currency bill of which he made a care
ful 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.
tention of the analyst.
Now il is the intention of the Dem.
ocrats to create what may be called
bill writing bureau. II will be Gre
ated by an act OF congress and there.
fore taken ont 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 II is
abolished by an act Of congress. This
bureau, despite its name. will not
write for congressman. but IL 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 viii establish two sub.
stantial reforms in legislation. and II
the Democrats carry out their plan
they probably Will get good bit of
credit even though before the reform
streak showed itself. they had vio-
lated several times both the spirit and
the letter Of the rule and the law
which they nOW intend to put into Oh
Grafton.
sufragist1 Are Urgent.
Congress is stiH under pres
sure from the women suffragists
mission 10 the states OF an amend
ment TO the constitution giving women
the right 20 vote. 10 may be- that con
greas again will turn a non.hearing
err TO the appeals OF the women. but
no one in Washington who has observ-
ed the progress Of recent events seems
TO doubt that eventually the law.
makers viii provide the necessary
machinery for the submission OF the
question 20 the people Of the country
for "a decision
The first suffrage movement began
DO the east For years it vas little
more uan Joke. The effort 10 OBJ
tain votes for women finally found n
field for activity in The far west and
the seed which was planted on the
Atlantic coast ripeucd. sprouted into
plant life and bore its fruit i'm the
west country The progress Of the
spirit Of the movement was from east
70 west, while TIE progress Of achieve
ment has been from west 10 east
Recently 20 Washington the suffra-
gists OF the country held their con
veution. The attitude Of the residents
OF this city and OF the Laws makere TO-
wards she sunraglsts is entirely differ
ent frou what IL was some years ago
In fact only four years ago the ma
tional suGragists held q meeting here
in a comparatively small room in
hotel and the attendance at the Uleet-
lngs was counted In tens This year
q huge hall was too small 10 accomu1o-