River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-08-24
Congress WILSON
Close 63rd Session
(From James A. Frear, NJ. CO.


sixty-third session in 1913 and from
the fact that they have been published
quite GENERALLY, / assume they wer>
welcome. At times the writer has
been kept rather busy, especially when
river and harbor bills were under dis
cussion for weeks at a time and also
when the so-called food control bill
and other bills were debated for short
er periods but the letters have gone
regularly. Between correspondence
and committee meetings the average
member tries to attend to important
debates and read important bills. AS
the average bill runs from ten to fifty
pages and occasionally to over $50
pages, any effort to read one per cent
of over $4,000 bills introduced at
single session, is no easy task. A
word further in regard to the weekly
letters; although hastily prepared and
subject to occasional typographical err
rors, the average reader has accepted
them in the spirit in which they were
written, has been given some side
lights on Congress not contained in
news dispatches and possibly has re-
ceived some additional information OF
federal legislation. The writer has
stayed here since the beginning of the
session and until practically all i'm
portant legislation has been passed or
left to conferees who will adjust their
differences and report remaining bills
in the form they are to pass. Con-
gress will soon fold it's tents for which
the country and members may natur-
ally be thankful. Supply bills must
be passed at every session and with
changing economic conditions other
legislation must be enacted to make
easier and happier condition of the
great mass of our people. These facts
have been commented upon weekly and
I have endeavored to show that while
party divisions are necessary and
party responsibility imperative, the
character of men on either side of the
aisle has much to do with their value
as legislators.
A Senator from an adjoining state
of ours, who once represented far
Western State in the lower House, has
been in the lime-light during the ses-
sion because of his fastidious dress
and marked peculiarities of speech to
which may be added unusual abilities.
In discussing him with some one who
claimed to know, / was informed that
the Senator once worked at day labor
not so very many years ago and is
"self-made" man. Many such are to
be found in both Houses although I'M
accompanied by the peculiarities of
the Senator who / understand became
both editor and lawyer before he drift
ed into politics. Frank Wing, clever
cartoonist, known to the Members gen
orally, has just published a "Foty-
graft Album" accompanied by side re-
marks from the family terror, who de
scribes two green looking cherubs as
follows: "Them's Willie and Freddie
Sparks. It's awful the way they turn
ed out, pa says. Willie's an editor,
and Freddie's a lawyer and they work
together just fine. Willie gets into
trouble and Freddie, he gifts him out"
By a coincidence the Senator fills
both roles much of the time.
Referring to the rapid evolution of
law and legislation the following by
Senator Kenyon in debate on the child
labor bill is strikingly significant. He
said, II believe the Constitution has
been marching on; that it has not
stood still; that the fathers who form
ed this instrument had no idea of what
was coming, of the new conditions anc
changes that would ensue and the Con
stitution has been construed in a way
to meet most of them. I think the
Constitution will keep marching on"
On the same day, Senator Vardaman
of Mississippi in debate, presented the
same argument in the following coup
let:
New conditions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward
Who would be abreast of truth"
The Supreme Court determines the
Constitutionality of laws and Justice
Hughes entry into the campaign has
disclosed that Supreme Court Justices
are of the same clay and temperament
as other men and their decisions are
founded on reason as we'll as pre-
cedent
Tributes to Capt. John Erickson,
builder of the Monitor, were the order
of the day in the House when $4,000
was appropriated for statue in hon
or of the man that built the first iron
olod onA oh A. E.