Alma record., 1914-12-10
PRESENT CONGRESS
Continued from page

RHtAhANN hiVih PbSt
Rep. Gardner of Massachusetts will
press a resolution TO investigate the
military status of the United States
through a commission of three sena-
tors to be appointed by the president
of the senate, three members of the
house to be appointed by the speak
er, and three members to be appoint
ed by the president of the United
States.
1t is not unlikely that the discussion
of our preparedness for war will lead
TO a prolonged debate on the army,
navy and fortifcation bill, and thus
/ shut out a great deal of miscellane-
Gus legislation that might otherwise
be reached
The politics of the session will be
connected with the election of last
November and the partial reversal of
the status of parties in the house.
The democratic majority in that cleo
tion fell from l45 over all to 30 over
all, and from 167 over the republicans
to 80 over the republicans.
The changes in the personnel of the
senate will be noteworthy. In this
short session of congress, Senator
Joseph l.. Bristow, of Kansas; Theo-
dore E. Burton, of Ohio Coe /. Craw-
ford, of South Dakota; George C. Per-
kins of California; Elihu Root, of
New York; Isaac Stephenson of Wis
consin; and John r. Thornton, of
Louisiana, will see their last public
service.
Bristow and Crawford were defeat
and Burton, Root, Stephenson and
Thornton retired.
In the house the most noteworthy
men who have permanently or tenn
porarily been put out of public life are
Richmond p. Hobson, of Alabama, the
man who made. consistent and Wig
orous fight for natinoal prohibition,
Joseph r. Knowland. of California,
who led the fight against the repeal
of the canal tolls exemption, and who
was nj the last election defeated for
the senate from his own state; Bur-
ton l.. French, who was for long
time sole representative of Wyoming
in the house, and who has served in
five congresses; William II. Hinebaugh
the progressive leader from Illinois;
Frank T. O'Hair, of Illinois, who had
the unique distinction of beating Jo-
seph G. Cannon for congress; Maur-
ice Connolly, of Dubuque, Iowa, one
of the young leaders of the democ-
racy, who lost out by failing to beat
Cummns for the senate.
A like fate overlook Victor Muir
dock, of Kansas, progressive leader in
the house, who attempted to go to
the senate, but ran third in field
of three; Frederick c. Stevens, of
Minnesota, who was ranking repub-
lican member of the house interstate
and foreign commerce committee.
From one of the st. Louis districts
in Missouri, J. f. Meeker comes to
replace Richard Bartholdt, the gentle
man who has promoted the inter-par-
liamentary union of peace, and who
has been made unhappy by the war
in Europe. From the twelfth New
York district will come Meyer Lon
don to represent socialism i'm the house
of representatives.
Inasmuch as the slow-moving SEN
ate must be considered first in any
attempt to pass legislation at the
short session, the attitude of Sena-
tor Kern, chairman of the democratic
steering committee in the senate, is
important. Senator Kern, after is
suing a call for an early meeting of
his committee, declared that the dem
ocrats in congress desire to wind up
business not later than
March A next, and that There was
strong disinclination to. hold a special
session of congress after that time.