The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-04-29
IS CONGRESS Slow.
LAWMAKERS SEEM TO BE KEEP
ING lEISURElY PACE SET
IN PAST.
HOW LOWER HOUSE DAWOlES
Hearings In the Naval Committee Have
Consumed Much Time-Uniinited
Senate Debate Generally Considered
Greatest Cause of Delay.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

has denied with something like indlg-
nation that the house of representa-
tives is "dawdling" along with legis-
lation. Some time ago another mem
Der Of congress. a Democrat. but one
holding membership in the upper
branch. said publicly that congress
was far behind in its work. II is
this statement. which was sent broad
cast through the country, which per
haps is responsible for the letters
which congressman of all parties are
said to be receiving asking why thew
do not speed up."
To an outsider who can separate
himself from the politics in the case
ii seems that congress is just about
keeping the pace which was set for II
in the past When the Republicans
were i'm power they were charged with
dawdling. and now that the other
party has control the same charge is
laid at its door The truth is that
congressman. being like other folk,
are moved by all kinds of elements
either TO linger over their work or
in some specific cases to push it per
haps too rapidly.
Ii is somewhat interesting to learn.
however. that most OF the criticism
of the slowness of congress which has
come from the country. not only re-
Gently but for many years past. di-
reefs itself to the house of repre-
sentativcs. IL is true enough that
the house does go remarkably slow
on legislation occasionally. but TAX
ing it as rule the representatives are
racers on the legislative track as com
pared 10 the tortoise paced senators.
The reason is very simple. When
the majority in the house makes up
its mind TO put a bit of legislation
through it adopts a rule limiting de-
bate and fixing the hour for a vote.
In the upper house senatorial courtesy
and a belief. or at any rate an al
legged belief. in the beauty Of free and
long discussions keeps the senators
from establishing rule to shut off
discussion. They can talk for a whole
session on one bill If they want.
Long Hearings on Navy.
/ Probably a considerable part of the
complaint which has been made con-
corning laggardly action in the house
of representatives this year is due to
the lOng-drawn-Out hearings in the
naval committee on the subject OF
naval preparedness. Weeks and weeks
have been spent in hearings. 1t is
said that all kinds of inconsequential
matters have been discussed in the
committee. and that If the real OBJ
ieCt of the hearings alone had been
given consideration the bill might
have been reported to the house long
ago.
Ever since congress was a congress
the party in power has prepared in
advance of each session program of
the greater legislation which it was
intended to sanction. The house If
representatives has little or no diff.
which the majority party leaders have
determined upon as part of the pro
gram. When one of these measures
gets into the house il goes through
rapidly. The trouble, as has been said
before. comes in the senate where
free discussion and no rule to bring
ii TO a close enable the opponents OF
any measure to ak against it al
great length.
In the house in one way there is
such a thing as dawdling II has
marked pretty nearly every session
for the years that one correspondent
at least has been in this city II is
peculiar kind of dawdling. Its mani
festatiOn is to be found in the at
tempts of the majority leaders, or Of
cliques in the house which may be
composed of members of both parties
to prevent the passage of some spe
cies Of legislation which has not beer
sanctioned in advance by the party
leaders. but for which there seems e
be an insistCnt demand from many
people throughout the country.
Lesson in Dodd's Ride.
Army officers in Washington main
tain that the ride of Colonel Dodd an,
MS NibbptlS IiDFtS one HItpdl t'I
ness poin,. 1t may be the feel
ing of the officers IN this mat
ter and some things which off o
the government say concerning it vii
have its effect on proposed future leg
islatiOn when the whole subject o
preparation for military defense is un
der consideration.
A siXty-fOur-year-Old cavalry cOlOne
with 400 troopers made tifty-tive mile
through the night in seventeen hour
and at the rides end fought for iv
hours against a numerically superiO
force of men hardened to service il
the field. The American regulars wO
| a marked victory.
The contention Of military men her
from the first has been that real pre-
paredness consists in having a mObil
army strong enough to strike at a
enemy on the instant of his appear
auCc. II is urged that regulars so ia
as stamina is concerned always are pre-
pared. The argument therefore is tina
% preparedness need not concern itsel
with the personnel of a regular arm
trained as our army always has bee
trained
While civilians, and this includes tn