Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-08-21
Washington Letter

for rejection this year are decluedly
CHEEKY over the statement OF Speak
err Champ Clark that the prospects
for adjournment within, the next
six weeks are extremely bright.
The Speaker, who is by far the
best guesser as to the date OF ad-
iournments at the Capitol, has de,
clared that if the seas are cleared
for commerce imports will be re-
stored to their normal volume and
complicated legislation to raise
revenue on account of the Euro
pean war will be unnecessary. Con-
gress, therefore, will have to pass
only a simple special revenue bill,
which it can do in short order and
then adjourn.
Aside from the revenue question,
Congre has comparatively little
legislation beforeit. The emergency
shipping bill being quickly disposed
of leaves only the trust bills and
the river and harbor bill as I'M
portant matters, and the indications
are that these can be disposed of
easily. The Speaker thinks that If
nothing crops out of the European
situation, Congress should adjourn
between the fifteenth OF September
and the first of October. This will
be welcome occurrence not only
to the members of Congress but to
the President as well, for all are
dead tired and anxious to 60 home.
These who have contests want to get
into the fight and those who have
not want to get rest. Congress has
been in continuous session for near
ly eighteen months already and the
steady grind has got the nerves OF
even The most phlegmatic.
While the European war is gen
orally deplored in government
circles here, there is no gainsaylng
the fact that from political stan T.
point the Democratic party will
benefit by it materially. Even the
leading Republicans in Washing
ton admit this although they will
not say so openly. Privately they
concede that the war will distract
the attention of the people from
the unwarranted attacks of Re-
publicans who. naturally, are crop
ing for arguments to offset the line
achievements of the present Ad'
ministration. Furthermore, there
is sure to be an awakening of bust
ness, since the demands for supplies
created by the wars will make the
factories boom. increase the call for
manufactured articles and double
the demand for farm products.
But the strongest point OF all IN
favor of the President is that the
American people will now realize
the great good Mr., Wilson accom-
plished when he refused, in the
face of the strongest kind of pres
sure, to allow this country to be
drown into war with Mexico.
For a while many Americans were
restless under the patient and tact.
futpolicy of the Wilson Admins
tration REGARDING Mexico. Now,
in the face of the unspeakable hor
rors of the European conflict, hor,
rors which as yet have bean only
half told it is realized that the
Presidend showed himself a real
humanitarian when he refused to
sacrifice thousands of American
| lives to bring about the exact re-
suits accomplished by his wis
AMI calm craftsmanship.
The general turmoil of the politi,
cal situation here, it may be said
in passing, has no effect whatever
on the members of the Virginia
delegation. They have all been
remominated and are practically
sure of election.
Virginia, like one or two other
Southern states, has realized the
value of keeping her representatives
in Congress. Influence in either
branch of Congress depends largely
upon length of service and the fact
that most of the imembers of the
present Virginia delegation are long
service men is responsible for the
power they WELD in Washington,
The New Eeng gland states learned
this lesson years ago, and while the
Republicans were in power they
practically controlled both branches
of congress. Virginia and one or
two other Southen states long ago
adopted a similar policy, with the
result that, when the Democratic
party returned to power in Virginia,
supported by sister states in the
South, Immediately began to WELD
a tremendous influence nj Congress.
After many years, Virginia is once
more the big factor in national
government she was in the early