Judsonia weekly advance., 1916-04-26
IS CONGRESS SLOW?
LAWMAKERS SEEM TO BE KEEP. ING L.ElSURELY PACE SET
 IN PAST.
HOW LOWER HOUSE DAWDLES
Hearings in the Naval Committee Have Consumed Much Time-Unlimited Senate Debate Generally Considered Greatest Cause of Delay.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

By GEORGE CLINTON.
 Washington.-Speaker Champ Clark has denied with something like indig- 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. It 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 they do not speed up."
 To an outsider who can separate himself from the politics in the case It seems that congress is just about keeping the pace which was set for it In the past. When the Republicans were in 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 finger over their work or in some specific cases to push it per haps too rapidly.
 It 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- reets itself to the house of repre- sentatives. It Is true enough that the house does go remarkably slow on legislation occasionally, but talk ing it as a rule the representatives are racers on the legislative track as com pared to the tortoise-paced senator's
 The reason is very simple. When the majority in the house makes up It's mind to put bit of legislation through it adopts a rule limiting de- bate and fixing the hour for a vote. Ill 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
 
 session on one bill if they want.
 Long Hearings on Navy.
 Probably 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 nave been spent in hearings. It is said that all kinds of inconsequential matters have been discussed in the committee, and that if the real ob- 1ect 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 of representatives has little or no difi- culty in putting through the measures which the majority party leaders have determined upon as part of the pro- gram. When one of these measures gets into the house it goes through rapidly. The trouble, as has been said before, comes in the senate where free discussion and no rule to bring it to close enable the opponents of any measure to talk against 1t at great length.
 In the house in one way there is such thing as dawdling. It has marked pretty nearly every session for the years that one correspondent at least has been in this city. It is a peculiar kind of dawdling. It's 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 been sanctioned in advance by the party leaders, but for which there seems to be an insistent demand from many people throughout the country.
 Lesson In Dodd's Ride.
 Army officers In Washington main tain that the ride of Colonel Dodd and his troopers proves one prepared ness point. It may be the feel ing of the officers on this mat ter and some things which officials of the government say concerning it will have it's effect on proposed future leg lslation when the whole subject of preparation for military defense is un- der consideration
 sixty-four-year-ol cavalry colonel with 400 troopers made fifty-five miles through the night in seventeen hours and at the rides end fought for five hours against numerically superior force of men hardened to service in the field. The American regulars won marked victory.
 The contention of military men here from the first has been that real pre- paredness consists in having mobile army strong enough to strike at an enemy on the instant of his appear ance. It is urged that regulars so far as stamina is concerned always are pre- M