The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-05-06
Government Now S%upervises
Work In Many Directions.
STATE RIGHTS DISAPPEARING
BY Making Appropriations Which Are
Is Enabled Directly to Benefit the
People to a Greater Degree Than
Ever Before-Old Idea Is Overcome.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

Washington May .. - lSpeClal IA
careful scrutiny of the appropriation
bills, together with the new leglsla-
ton, develops n growing disposition ON
the part of members of congress to
have the general government control
In almost every direction. Comment
has been made heretofore about the
obliterating Of state lines, but the past
quarter Of a century has seen rapid
steps in that direction.
Not only has the control of the gov
eminent been shown by acts Of legis-
%lation, but the decisions Of the courts
have gone further in that direction
than eve before.
The bills for government control are
usually coupled with appropriations
from the federal treasury to do in
states and communities that which
heretofore has been lone by states,
communities or individuals.
Some Recent Examples.
The agricultural appropriation bill
Is filled with provisions for investiga-
ton, experiments and for work Of yari-
Gus kinds which a few years ago was
done entirely by the people themselves.
The agricultural department cost about
$2,O00,OOO during the Harrison admin
istratiOn. and it costs more than $40
100000 now.
In addition to that. the government
is going into the supervision of grain
grading, the selling of cotton, and If
the present measures should pass the
government will take n long step i'm
the direction of the control of the pub
lie resources and In their development.
In addition to that, the rural credits
bill, the vocational education bill and
other measures seem to Indicate a rap
Id advance in tine direction of federal
ization of public affairs.
OF Much Benefit.
There is no question that all of this
has been of much benefit to the whole
country, and comment is only made
because of the fact That the change In
sentiment has been so rapid and so inn
portant. A few years Z the question
of state rights would have been raised
on nearly every one of these subjects.
At the beginning of appropriations of
this character the state rights buga-
boo was interposed to prevent the gov
eminent doing anything for the benefit
OF the people. Now we never hear
of 1t.
Pleasant Resting Place.
The civilian membership of the com
mittee on board of ordnance and forti-
fications is II Of those pleasant rest
Ing places for men who have served
their country in the senate or house
and who for one reason or another
have been let out. Among the men
who have held the position were for
mer Representatives Henderson of ILL
nois and Cultivate of Ohio and Sena-
tors Cockrell and Warner of Missouri.
and the latest a%ppointee Is former Sen
ator Thornton of Louisiana. There is
not much for civilian members to do.
They Trot Out the Old Nanny.
Whenever there Is n race issue raised
In a debate In congress 1t is almost
certain that some man from the sunny
south will trot out the old nanny
who nursed him and took care of him
as n baby. From the many times that
this has been heard in congress there
must have been a lot of these old mann
mics. and they seem to have been well
occupied in taking care of prospective
southern congressman.
Manufactured Influence.
Every little while congress affects
to be much surprised ON account OF
the manufactured influence that is
brought to bear upon senators and rep
resentatives to secure the enactment
or the defeat OF some measure pending
In congress.
There has never beer n time when
shrewd men could not secure manufac-
tured petitions and kilograms or other
influence to be brought upon members
of congress. Chairman Moon Of the
house committee on postoffices had this
brought home TO him recently when he
provided a hearing on the bill TO pen
sion postal employees who were no
longer fit for service at 5000 a year.
At the time set for the hearing about
a hundred members of the house put
In an appearance. 1t was found after
ward hat all of them had received
from one to a dozen kilograms from
different sections OF their districts IN
nouncing the date of the hearing, tell
ing what the bill was and asking them
to 'look after u interests"
Opposed to Roumanian.
During the consideration OF the agri-
cultural appropriation bill Congress
man Bennett of New York tried to have
an amendment adopted dropping of
the "al' of the words .'investigational'
and "demonstrational." Failing In that
he tried TO have an amendment adopt
ed to have "al' attached to all words
of a similar character appearing in the
bill. IF we are going to drop the Eng
lish i've and put on the Roumanian
al let's do it with everything" said
the New Yorker.
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