River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-06-15
Congress Quiet During
Convention Sessions
BY James A. Frear, M. C.

tional conventions but daily sessions
have been held and many uncontest-
ed bills are receiving needed atten-
ton. Members engaged in special
work are also enabled to prepare for
bills yet to come up, for it is gener-
ally understood that little actual leg
islation occurs on the floor Debates
and votes are usually recorded but
actual laW-making occurs in hearings
before committees and subcommit-
tees and in individual work which Of
fers an endless field.
A bill passed the House Thursday,
providing that anyone uttering
threats Of bodily harm against the
president or mailing letters contain
ing such threats will be subject to a
$1,000 maximum fine or imprison-
ment up to five years in the peniten-
tiary. Frequent letters are received
at the White House from cranks and
anarchists, SO that this law will en-
able the authorities to prosecute
those making such threats whenever
necessary to protect the nations
chief citizen.
Peculiar things are inserted in the
Congressional Record as evidenced
by a senator's request that his own
remarks delivered at a "sumptuous
banquet given by cattle men be ex-
tended in the Record. Extracts from
the same senator's talk before other
gatherings also appear, in one of
which talks he dramatically fired his
audience with "deafen me to the
jingle of tainted money; teach me to
rid my room and office of trash and
my brain of slosh." Just to show he
takes his own advice to heart, talk
to high school pupils is inserted
wherein the same senator mixes up
honesty, cascarets, wisdom and glut-
tony in strange symposium that
should be read but not repeated. On
page 10, 707 of the Record is found
this evidence of statesmanlike utter
ances coming from a member of our
highest parliamentary body.
The other day a bill passed the
House relating to a Southern Pacific
railway grant of public lands.
Among other things the bill provid-
ed that in a proposed settlement
with the railroad, the state Of Ore
gon on the one hand and the govern
ment on the other, either directly or
through it's reclamation bureau,
should equally divide an amount es-
timated at several millions of dollars
to be determined by appraisement.
When the bill reached the senate,
the proposed division was changed
so that Oregon would receive 80 per
cent and only ten per cent would go
to the government. In other words,
the usual plan Of giving away public
rights and public funds to favored
localities went through. From one
of the House conference.-the Len
root learned that the Eleventh
District Member protested SO vigor-
ously and successfully in conference,
that the so per cent provi-
sion for the government was re-
stored, and the bill was SO passed.
The exact amount depends upon the
appraisement but several millions
were saved to the federal treasury
by the Wisconsin member. LOCAL.
ties boost members or senators who
bring home bacon but sentiment is
gradually growing against private
hauls or private loot which are nee
essarily at the expense of the public.
Meritorious measures will have a
better chance when such legislation
is discouraged.
CHANGING through the columns of a
Washington daily paper, my atten-
ton was called to an even dozen ad-
vertisements by local palmists, for.
tune tellers and prophets for profit
who waylay the gullible and adver-
tise where to be found and when.
These palmists buy licenses from the
district commissioners in order 10
pursue their calling and act under
authority of law in city that is sup
posed to set a standard for other
cities. Of course, if such prophets
and palmists could look into the fu-
ture, they would not be haunting
cheap shacks and back offices, be-
cause little actual knowledge of the
future would bring unfold wealth RI