The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-03-12
WORK FOR CONGRESS
BEFORE ADJOURNMENT
PRESENT SESSION CAN NOT CON-
cLuDE LAeoRs BEFORE
JUNE IS.

The present session of congress will
not end by June Is. the date predict
ed by the president, for the simple
reason that three months and half
Is not time enough in which to wind
up the legislative program that the
president himself has mapped out,
says H. j. Brown, the Washington cor
respondent. Without considering any
OF the new issues, congress could de-
vote the next three months to consid-
Grafton Of the regular appropriation
bills, but in addition to those bills
which must be passed there is mass
of other matter upon which action
will be demanded and on some of this
legislation there Is a flood Of oratory
yet to be turned loose. The repeal Of
the exemption clause of the Panama
canal act will occupy the senate for
the better part of month: the anti
trust bills which have not yet been
whipped into satisfactory shape by the
committees. are good for another four
weeks of discussion and in addition to
these questions the administration
legislative program includes the pass
age Of rural credit bill, final passage
of the immigration bill. settlement Of
the controversy with Columbia, rati-
lication of new treaty with Russia
If one can be negotiated, and sundry
less important matters The river
and harbor bill and the good roads bill
also are on the slate, being in addition
to the regular appropriation bills, and
while both seem assured Of passage
both will consume time The only way
therefore, that congress can adjourn
by June Is, is to slash the legislative
program and put over to next session
much Of the work laid down for the
present session. This will hardly be
DONE
Dodging the Suffrage Issue.
1t is amusing to watch the antics Of
senators and representatives who do
not believe in woman suffrage but
who are afraid to go on record as
against it. Every once in a while the
question hobs up in congress but al
ways some legislative trickery is re-
sorted to to shield those who are an
tagonistic but afraid to vote accord
Ing to their convictions. A few days
ago Senator Ashurst Of Arizona at
tempted to fix date for voting on he
joint resolution proposing a woman
suffrage amendment to the constitu-
ton. Senator Reed Of Missouri, who
is rankly opposed to giving women the
right to vote. jumped into protest
against fixing definite time to set
tie this question. Senator Reed and
Senator Ashurst became involved in
lively controversy during which the
Missouri senator disclosed the fact
that he was decidedly antagonistic to
the resolution, and Senator Ashurst
made 1t plain that Senator Reed, as
much as any other member of the SEN
ate, was responsible for preventing a
vote on the suffrage question. Senator
Reed went out Of his way to cast re-
Elections on women as voters and
sneeringly intimated that they were
not competent to use the ballot. When
the congressional record appeared the
next morning Senator Reeds remarks
were radically altered and instead OF
opposing woman suffrage Senator
Reed flatly stated that he was not an
tagonistic to taking a vote on the
question and went on to explain that
other matters Of more Importance
should be first. Most Of the colloquy
with Senator Ashurst was stricken out
1t Is a favorite argument Of those OPP.
posed to woman suffrage that Other
matters before congress are Of greater
Importance and must first be consd.
cred. The enemies with few excep.
tions always take refuge behind some
indirect cause and do not squarely OPP
pose giving the ballot to women.