The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-01-06
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

sional holiday recess, Yet everybody
cong ~ss is glad to have 1t.
One of the great snarls heard about
was when Grover Cleveland
kept them i'm session during the holi
days.
The trouble with congress is that il
meets in the wrong time of the year.
1t ought to meet within two months
the election instead of thirteen
months, as at present. Beginning n
session more than a year after the
is rather absurd. 1T was ar
that way at the beginning OF
the government so as to give ample
time for members elected TO reach the
That was before the days Of
and electricity.
Two Weeks ldling.
As it now stands there are two
weeks of a session before the holi-
days. This is little better than two
weeks of idling. Then there is a two
weeks vacation. ana thus "A whole
month goes by without any real work
being accomplished.
Congress has now resumed work
with the idea rather firmly impressed
upon the members that they have Il
momentous session before them; that
the matter of taxation is one which
must be considered in al its bearings
and that no matter what is done there
will be much dissatisfaction. Perhaps
they needed al the idle time they have
had in order to think it over.
High Cost of Living.
I'm these great times of easy money
and spending of fortunes and when
people are buying about everything
they want no one hears a word about
that old ~hackneyed high cost Of liy-
ing phrase which did duty in several
political campaigns. As long as peo-
pie have plenty of money TO spend
they don't care much about prices,
whether of living or of Injuries.
Republicans Must Consider.
Congressman Mondell is trying 10
tell his side of the house a few things
in regard to voting war preparations.
IF we vote for war preparation" said
the Wyoming man, 1--WE must be pre-
pared to vote to pay for ii. We can
not say that we did not know the
Democratic scheme of taxation. We
know what ii is. We know that they
intend TO increase internal taxes in
stead of raising money at the custom
.A.. W. wA.-e I-woux .rE~r. ~,. v~a4.
great expenses upon the people that
they will be paid for by the people on
the Democratic plan of taxation. No
matter how much we may fight and
storm and insist that our method Of
raising money is the best, we know
now that all the dollars We vote to
spend will come u of the people
through internal taxation
Tom and Joe.
Tom Pence and Joe Tumulty are WI
men who like TO have fun with each
other. When anything happens in the
office of the Democratic national com
mittee which Tom thinks will put
something over on Joe" he loses no
time in springing it. And Joe is always
getting back. AS a consequence the
wire between the White House and
the committee is something of a Josh
line"
For Uncle Joe.
The most ancient man in congress
spent the Christmas holidays at Dan
vile, ILL.,, but that did not prevent re-
membranes being sent him at the cap
itol. Joe Cannon received from one
admirer a number of things, including
n Bible OF modern pattern and al
bert's Book" the latter a story of
King Albert of Belgium. Then there
was a number of things which had
once been arranged in an old frame
with glass; but, alas, the express com
pany disregarded the Handle With
Care sign. and a mass of crushed glass
was the result The former speaker
Toes not know whether the Bible
means he is getting old, which he de
MES, or that he ought to read it more,
which is also wrong, for he is well up
on the Scriptures.
Will Not Get Far.
1t is doubtful whether a bill intro
duced by Congressman Kent of Cali
fornia will get very far. 1t proposes
TO start a movement for a military and
naval academy at San Francisco. The
chances are that when the time comes
for building another academy for Ell
Their service there will be a mighty
scramble for the institution.
Army Officers Expect Little.
After considering all the bills which
have been introduced and seriously
proposed by men Of Importance in mill
tary affairs the average army officer of
intelligence has ONE TO the conclu-
sion that little will be done for the
army in the coming congress. Army
men cannot agree. and congressman
seem to have favorites to look after.
judging from the bills proposed. And
the army will get left.