The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-01-06
WASHINGTON NOTES
Idaho Delegation Working Hard For
Gem State.
Especial Correspondence
Halls of Congress Deserted.

diately on the adjournment OF con- |
gress on Tuesday, the 2Srd until jan
uary 18th, the president left for Pass
Christian, Miss, to spend three weeks, |
and nearly all of the representatives
and senators in congress east OF the
Rocky mountain states have gone to
their homes, to remain until congress
reconyenes.
The Idaho delegation will remain at
their post of duty, and will, because
of many important matters pending in
the departments be practically as busy
as when congress is in session.
1t is interesting to note that the du-
ties of the representatives in con-
gress vary according to location. In
the newer states, the majority OF let
ters received by senators and repre-
sentatives pertain to the public lands,
homesteads, and matters pertaining to
irrigation, power sites, Indian affairs,
forest reserves, rights of way, etc.
The senators and representatives from
the older states receive no letters on
these subjects, as these questions nave
long since been disposed of. AS re-
suit, the delegates from the public
land states are required to do great
deal more work and have less time
for the consideration of general leg
islation than those from the other sec
tons of the country.
The record for punctual attendance
to their duties in Washington, on the
part of some of the delegations from
the older states, is far from creditable.
Many of the representatives have been
in attendance less than a month dur
ing the last session of congress eX-
MI I'D Of gnu an M c
Their correspondence is attended to
by their clerical force, as only mat
ters of minor Importance require at
tention while the member is absent.
The eastern representative in con-
gress, who is not inclined to exert
himself and who does not take an &C
tive interest in public questions, can
find plenty of leisure time and take
life easy but all of the members from
the western states are required to give
their constant attention to business oil
the immense correspondence which
they receive and the need of personal
attention to most of it.
Busy Session Anticipated.
1t is generally understood that, i'm
mediately after congress conVenes
that the various committees of con
gress will have weekly sessions ant
legislative matters be given attention
in earnest
ut is unfortunate" remarked Con
gresham Smith, that the whole sum
mer should have been frittered ava,
as a result of the determination o
the Democratic caucus to pass no leg
islation excepting the tariff and cur
rency bills. 1t was feared by tn
Democratic administration that, il 9th
er legislation was taken up, public at
tention would have been diverted fror
these important measures, but it doe
not appear that this is sufficient rea
son for the committees of congress t
refrain from meeting and the deter
mination to report no bills to tn
house, excepting those first passed up
on by the Democratic caucus" AS
result of the do nothing policy, bust
ness will be so congested in the com
mittees and in the house that it viii
be impossible to secure full considera
ton of hundreds of meritorious mea
sures which are pending.
There are numerous bills pendin
in the committee on lands which,
enacted into law, would be of tn
greatest benefit to those desiring t
avail themselves of the various publ
land laws, but as the appropriate
bills will, under the rules, have tn
right of way, the opponents of thes
land measures can, by dilatory tactics
prevent the consideration of these an
many other important bills which al
pending.
TO Pension Surviving Scouts an
Widows.
Last week the committee on pei
sions held a hearing on the bill
Representative Burton L. French
Idaho, providing for pensiOning II
survivors of the Forsyth Scouts an
the widows of the deceased member
of this organization.
Representatives French and Smit
of Idaho, Taylor of Colorado, and HI
well of Utah, appeared before the con
mittee in support of the bill and urge
it's passage and one of the survivir
scouts, Thomas Ranahan of Weise
Idaho, was present and gave mo
vivid description of the experiences
the Forsyth Scouts from the day th
they were ordered to be organized |
Gen. Phil Sheridan, who was in con
mand of the department with hea'
quarters at Fort Leavenworth, throus
the hard campaign led by General lie
A. Forsyth in which the desperate ba
tie of Beecher's Island, Colorado, w;
fought and numerous members of II
company killed or wounded.
Mr.. Ranahans original and graph
description of the whole affair W;
like reading a chapter from the ii
of Kit Carson of Daniel Boone al
nothing in the history of these me
can surpass the desperate experience
of the little band of scouts under Gel
eral Forsyth.
The committee took no action, b
it is understood that a most favorab
attitude is held by the members of Il