The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-01-20
CONTEST BETWEEN
CITY AND COUNTRY
Always Develops When Agricul-
tural Bills Are Debated.
WORKS WAKES PESSIMISTIC
Retiring California Senator Sees Dan
ger Ahead For Our Government Be.
cause Of Presidential Entertainments
Upon Powers of Congress During Re-
cent Administrations.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.


BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington, Jan. 49, Special. l.
There is always a contest between the
city and country. Ii develops when
ever the agricultural appropriation bill
is considered In the house. Generally
speaking, there are more people in the
cities than in the country, but that in
cludes residents of the smaller cities
and towns which are really bucolic in
their tastes and inclinations. There is
a very large urban population, of
course, but all senator's and most of
the members of the house represent in
part farmers, and SO the farmers have
the best of the discussions which take
place annually when agricultural bills
are considered.
That the agriculturists have infiu-
ence Is shown by the steady increase of
appropriations for the agricultural de-
partment and the growth of that de-
partment since it was first organized.
As a matter of fact, the department has
gone a long way beyond anything ever
contemplated when it was created, but
there is every evidence that 1t is doing
good work, and Ii has the backing of n
large number of people who vote, and
that Is one reason why IL continues to
grow.
Senator Works Pessimistie.
The venerable Senator Works of Cal
~ifornia, who is going to retire on
March 4, denied that he IA a pessi-
mist In his recent swan song speech,
but no one could near or read his re-
marks without feeling that he saw
grave dangers ahead for the govern
ment. Works was particularly critical
of presidential e-ncroachment upon the
rights and powers OF congress and laid
about him in a lusty manner when crit
icising the acts OF recent ~administra-
lions in this regard.
Cleveland was one of the first no
torious offenders of presidential inter
ference with legislation when he used
the power OF patronage and every 9th
er power the administration possessed
to force a repeal of the silver purchase
law. Mckinley in his gentle way was
able to make congress come to his
terms at any time. Roosevelt was the
most pronounced man of modern times
to force his will upon congress until
the present administration. President
Taft was very lenient with congress
and let 1t do about as 1t pleased and
was one OF the worst defeated men
that ever ran for two terms. Wilson
more than any other man that eve
was I'm the White House exercises con
troll over congress. and 1t is evident
that the people like 1t.
Spoiled the Fishing.
Congressman Oglesby. who repre-
sents part of the Bronx and part OF
Westchester county, In New York. was
returning from a trip to Florida, and
he listened to two men who discussed
river and harbor improvements. The
men spoke of one stream where ap-
preparations are made every time there
Is n river and harbor bill, and one of
them said that 1t never could be made
so that boats could float on Ii unless
Ii was dug deeper and a canal made.
The other man remarked something
about the removal OF the snags and
stumps. for which the appropriations
were expended, aud then rather indig-
nantly remarked: "All that does Is to
spoil the fishing. The hsA In Georgia
like TO lie around the rests of those
snags and stumps. and 1t sskes mighty
good fishing to get one o. them with
out fouling the line"
Had to Examine the Soil.
Members of the house who have
been trying to get loans under the new
farm loan act have found that before
boards will make loans on farms ex-
animation OF the soil has to take place
by an agent of the department of ag-
riculture to see whether the land is
valuable enough to grant the loan.
Some of the men from the Mississippi
valley states, where the soil Is the
richest In the world. are quite indig-
nant over this feature Of administer
ing the new law.
Humphrey Will Be Missed.
The house of representatives is go
ing to miss a very active man when
the mex congress convenes. William
T.. Humphrey of Washington has been
very quiet so far this session, but he
has been one of the most active men
In the past few years that congress has
known. Humphrey retired from the
house to run for the senate. but he
could not overcome the popularity of
Senator Poindexter In Washington.
and so he retires to private life.
Sitting Down on Commissions.
There Is every indication that con
gress. particularly the house of repre-
sentatives. would like to dispose of
and end some of the commissions that
have been In existence so long. An
effort to extend the commissions and
give lame ducks In congress jobs on
them has met with serious opposition.
and there may be a reform In this par