The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-06-14
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

In connection with the war protests
arise against granting extraordinary
powers to the executive department
One OF the measures to bring forth "A
protest was the bin authorizing the
president to take control of railroads
to an extent for war purposes.
The most vigorous protest against
that bin was by Senator Hoke Smith
OF Georgia. He referred to 1t as an
astounding proposition" so "farreach-
ing that | have not been able to grasp
it, hat 1t transferred to the presi
dent the entire transportation system
of the country" lie concluded his
brief review of the measure by saying
IF the railroads are TO be operated un-
der government control we should set
tie In detail some of the policies and
manner of operation
Subjects OF Discussion.
Perhaps those who have been impa-
tient on account Of the deliberatlon
with which congress has been proceed
ing are not aware that many such
measures have been brought forward
many new ideas advanced and many
grants of power requested all of
which are entirely novel In IL scheme
of government. That is why apparent
ly SO much time hns been taken In con
sidering the bills.
In nearly all cases tho power is lodg
ed I'm the president, but everybody In
congress knows that this means giving
power TO the man the president desig
mates To exercise II. Ii would be I'M
possible for the president to look after
nil the matters that are intrusted to
him, and, no matter how much conf
dence there may he reposed IN the
president, there is not SO much trust
Ia the ability and trustworthiness of
all Of his subordinates.
Cores Christmas Tree.
AS chairman of the agricultural com
mittee Senator Gore OF Oklahoma had
charge OF the bin labeled, ITO further
provide for the national security and
defense by stimulating agriculture and
facilitating the distribution of agricul
tural products
1t was before the senate a long time,
and many amendments were offered TO
II. All sorts of legislative enactments
were included. senator Gore accepting
them rather than %prolonglng the dis
cusslon. After a time he remarked
that the bill was "being treated as II
1t were a Christmas tree on which ev-
} erybody is entitled to hang anything
he wants to-"
Nelson's Lost Bullet.
When the Confederate veterans were
in Washington stories OF civil war
days We're recalled. 81 wonder" re-
marked Senator Nelson of Minnesota,
who was In a Wisconsin regiment dur
ing the war, IF the fellow who tried
to give me a bullet is In the crowd
here. 1t was down in the southwest.
| was shot in the leg and had 10 lie
on the field. The C~onfederates charg-
ed over the field late in the afternoon,
and | was captured. \ young doctor
dressed my wound, cutting out the bull
let. which lay next to the skin after
passing through my leg.
Here, Yank,' he said, holding up,
is your rebel bullet
Il had been out Ia the hot sun all
day, and | was not feeling very well.
To HI with your rebel bullet! l said,
and flung II out in the grass. | have
been sorry | didn't keep 1t as a me-
mento."
Supply and Demand.
Senator France of Maryland made
his first speech In the senate not long
ago, speaking of the food situation.
There is only one way TO reduce the
price OF food In this country" he said,
"and that is to produce more food
Thus he stated in plain terms the law
of supply and demand.
or course the idea is beginning to
sink into the minds even of legisla-
tors. most of whom know little about
farming, that one great difficulty In
producing more food is to find labor.
West and tho Lands.
Considering a proposition in regard
to public lands in the west, Senator
Husting of Wisconsin had shown
alarm lest the public domain might be
wasted and spoke rather plainly about
public land policy.
THE senator is apparently sincere
In his belief" remarked Senator Fall
of New Mexico, that whenever one Of
us from the western states mentions
public lands we are making IA raid upon
the public heritage of Wisconsin. | I'M
derstand that some people who have
had their pie and eaten 1t are inclined
to think that those of US who are strug-
Cling with the developments of the
west are incompetents or else we are
worse than grafters."
That so aroused Husting that he ac-
cused Fall Of making q TRADE" and
used other words which Vice President
! ! Marshall said were not in order.