The Washington herald., 1914-10-08
How to Adjourn.

The Democrats have been charged with inexperi-
ence and incompetence in running Congress, and in
one very important point they must admit that these
Here they have been in session continuously for three
years The Sixty-secOnd Congress, with Demo-
cratic House. did not quit until the constitutional
time limit cut of debate and discharged the mem
bers at noon, March 4 1913 and then they left lot
of bills unpaid; so the Sixty-third Congress had
to begin at once appropriating money as well as
making a new tariff that has reduced the money
available for appropriation That extra session ran
right into the regular session last December and it
is still running.
Speaker Clark wants to adjourn and so do Oscar
Underwood and Mr.. Fitzgerald and all the other
Democrats, but they don't adjourn 1t must be lack
of experience and inability to draw a resolution.
Serene E. Payne, who has prepared and offered this
resolution time out of mind knows how but he
won't tell Mr. Underwood Jim Mann knows how
it is done but he won't even whisper it to either
Underwood or Fitzgerald.
Il is a very discouraging situation for all con-
cerned 1t is just as important know how to stop
as it is how to start This Congress has lesislated
enough for half dozen Congresses and it has legis-
lated the Baltimore platform into the laws, forward,
backward and criss-cross. The President wants them
to quit but Mr.. Underwood usually wise and expen-
enced seems to think that the only way they quit
is for the President to discharge them
There is usually good feeling and nonpartisan-
ship at the adjournment of Congress and we regret
that Mr.. Payne and Mr.. Mann have not far mani
Tested enough nonpartisanship to. tell Underwood
how to adjourn. They certainly don't want to stay
here, but they just enough pig-headed in their
k,f, a..
their long experience and parliamentary knowledge.
Under the circumstances we violate no confidence
in giving Mr. Underwood the information which Mr..
Payne withholds This is what Mr.. Payne would do
in Republican Congress. Mr.. Payne: "Mr Speak
er, offer the following resolution for immediate
consideration The clerk would read: Resolved
by the House of Representatives (the Senate con-
currng), That the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives be author
lied to close the present session by adournng their
respective Houses on this 9Th day bf October, 1914
at o'clock p. m" Then Mr.. Payne, still having the
eye of the Speaker, would demand the previous ques
ton, and in jiffy the resolution would be passed
sent to the Senate, and back with the concur
of that body and everybody could grab his hat
and run.
1t is very simple but Mr. Underwood has been so
busy that he has not learned how Bob Henry seems
to think that as chairman of the Committee on Rules
he will have to make new rule to quit just as he
does to 1egslate. But we are glad to disabuse his
mind The House may need a special rule for every
bill to be considered, but not to adjourn The Con-
gress can quit without the aid of the Committee on
Rules does it need to be discharged by the Pres
ident Mr.. Underwood need feel under no obGga-
ton for this information. If Mr.. Payne Jim Mann
had shown the proper spirit and impaired the infor
nation, we should not have butted in