The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-02
TIE DYING CONGRESS.

A congress which came into existence with
the promise Of much goes out Tuesday with
that promise unfulfled in one important par
ticular
Legislation of Importance at the sessions prior
to and Immediately following a presidential cleo
ton was not expected, but promises of greater
economy in expenditures were expected to ne
fulfilled, and in part were fulfilled until re-
Gently. Before election there was a dispost-
ton to make appropriations square in some de-
gree with the revenues, but with the opening or
the session which began last December the word
economy was forgot. except by the opponents
II large navy, and was remembered by them
only when that question was up for coHsidera-
ton
Tho first session played politics; the second
session raided the treasury. Of the two the
first was the more credttable, for the politics
played was not Of low order, and moreover,
much was done. Legislation Of importance was
enacted, and but for a standpat senate and exec
utive there would have been more OF It. In
the house the. Democratic majority was kept to-
Eether under the leadership Of Oscar Underwood,
and in the senate sufficient aid was secured from
the progressive Republicans to put through some
Of the needed legislation.
With the short session well under way, now
ever. the break came. A well organized force,
which had held together during the preolec-
ton fighting, became mob scattering FOR the
spoils, and the pork barrel raid was or.
The result has been an increase in the ap-
propriations in nearly every department of gov
eminent expenses making q total surprising
all former figures, One hundred and eighty mi;-
lion dollars will be spent for pensions; tne naval
budget has been increased and a fight to pre-
vent further addition is now on; the public
buildings bill and the rivers and harbors bill
carry appropriations in excess of those provided
for by previous congresses. and the senate IS
adding to the amount While all this was be
Ing done. there was little objection the ground
OF economy except from one or two who raised
Intellectual cries, until the question OF increase1
naval defenses came before the house Then
members who had cheerfully voted $4,000 post
Offices to towns Of ten thousand population and
huge sums for pensions suddenly remembered
that there must be a limit set sometime. anc
opposed the increase. ...=... ~.
In other particulars the present congress has
proven more than satisfactory to the people.
1t Is true that not great deal has peen ac-
comprshed, but what has been done has been
IN line with Democratic policies and principles,
and as the electors put the Democratic party
in power, that presumably is what they wany,
The Underwood tariff bills have not become
law. fact for which a Republican senate and
they have already paid the penalty. They were
passed by a Democratic house and voted for by
the Democrats in the senate. Nothing more
could have been done, A constitutional amend
ment providing for popular election of United
States senators. long a Democratic principle has
been submitted to the senate; bill regulating
the interstate shipment of liquor has been passed.
vetoed by President Taft and repassed over his
veto by one house This and other important
legislation has been enacted What has been
done besides appropriations made, has been
meritorious, and what has failed has failed be
cause of Republican opposition, either in the
senate or White House, or both.
Exasperatingly disappointing though 1t was in
the matter of appropriations, the partly Demo
cratic and partly Republican sixty-second CON
gress has been fairly creditable to the Demo-
cratic party and anything but creditabe to the
Republicans.
An extra session, TO be called by President
wilson will begin on the first day Of April.
Appropriation bills will not rise to plague and
if tariff law drawn according to Democratic
campaign promises to be enacted and salts
factory banking and currency law be put
through, the extravaganza of the now dying
congress will be forgot If not, economy pledges
Kept would not weigh in the balance against that
great failure, and should not.