The Washington herald., 1913-10-23

LEADER DEFENDS
HOUSE TORPOR
MIR. Underwood Says the
Members Are Entitled
to a Rest.
CRITICISM NOT FEARED
Representative Mann, However, Be.
lieves Congress Should Either Ad-
journ or Go to Work..

Day by day Congress meets and ad-
journk Barely 100 members of the House
answer 10 their names In the Senate
there is a daily struggle to secure a
quorum. Congress is in session and yet
it Is not in session. 1t is neither flesh
nor fowl nor good red herring.
The situation has the sanction of the
Democratic leaders. Representative I'm
derwood, in an interview yesterday, ex-
planned why Congress is doing nothing.
You can work a good team of horses
every day." he said, but If you keep
the team working days and nights and
Sundays, too, you will soon find that ii
has become good for nothing. Congress-
men are not machines. They are human
beings. They cannot work all the time.
The older mePbers have been here since
last December and the new men have
been here since April. The workers have
been here all the time, even though some
Of the others have been occasionally
away"
do?"
There is nothing before Congress at
the present time except the currency bill
and that is in the Senate. The appropria-
lion bills will not be ready until the reg
ular, session, because the estimates will
not be in until December l. My
belief is that il the members are given
a rest they viii come back for the regu-
lar session better prepared TO work and
will have no trouble in maintaining a
constant quorum. They are entitled to a
rest They have had no time TO attend
10 their private affairs or to go home"
Would YOU gain anything by doing
some of the work Of the regular session
now?"
Nothing to Be Gained.
q do not believe We would really gain
anything. II We worked right along.
without breathing spell. everybody
would be tired out by next February or
March. and the result would be unsatis-
factory. We could adjourn now if II were
not for the currency bill. and / am sure
that the country realizes that we have
been faithfully attending to our legis-
lstive duties for six months ] do not
fear any criticism OF our course"
Representative Mann of Illinois. the
Republican leader. is the thorn in the
SIDE of the Democrats. He insists upon
a daily roll call to put the names of the
S.hsentees upon the record and will not
agree to recess.
Congress should either adjourn or go
TO work., he said yesterday. IF there
Is nothing for il to do-and / insist that
there is plenty of work to keep il busy
l. is because the committees have wasted
the six months OF the session II the
committees do not get together before
December to consider the ambitious leg
islative program which the President is
said to have outlined. il means that they
will not have any bills ready until after
the first of the year. Then the appro-
priation bills will come along and de-
nnand consideration. We were not able
to scan these bills very closely last win
ter. bit during tasa dong session tney' win
be carefully examined. Before We know
il. will have next summer upon US
and with members anxious TO get away
into the campaign. Congress will ad-
journ with its work undOne. or else We
will stay here until October"
Then you think that a mistake is
being made?'
Thinks Ii a Mistake.
1T certainly is. and the Democrats will
realize it Already absentees are return
ing to Washington and reporting that
their constituents think that they should
be in Washington il Congress is in ses-
sion. 1t is absurd TO say that there is
nothing to be done
Senator Cummins OF Iowa also believes
that Congress should get 10 work. 1T
was all right TO do nothing when We
thought that the extra session would be