The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-02-14
War Situation and Other Work
Keep Legislators Busy.
DOING TWO THINGS AT ONCE
senate Committees Ask Leave to Sit
During Sessions of Senate-Section-
alism Crops Up Every Once In
Awhile-Steep Inauguration Prices
Willingly Paid.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

" 1otNfN
Washington, Feb. 10. - Special -
Both houses OF congress are very much
pressed for time. With only three weeks
remaining Of the session and very much
business to transact besides that ere
ated by the German trouble, it is
well known that 1t Is impossible TO give
the attention and the careful considera-
ton needed by important measures
which are pending. While a number of
men believe that there will be an extra
session Of congress, the work of getting
the appropriation bills out of the way
goes on just the same with a view to
preventing any such session.
III Considered Legislation.
AS an evidence OF the difficulties
which the senate encounters, it is no.
ticed that several committees have ask
ed leave to sit during the sessions Of
the senate. They are trying to do inn
portant business in the senate and at
the same time hold important commit
tee meetings. OF course this makes
bad legislation. Only a few members
OF committees can attend hearings and
prepare the bills, and only a compare
lively few senators can attend to the i'm
portant legislation In the senate. Com
mittee work ought to be lone by full
committees and legislation enacted by
the full senate, but that is one of the
unfortunate features of n short session
OF congress where too much business is
crowded into a few weeks.
S~ectionalism Revived.
A hundred times and on a hundred
hustings the statement has been made
that there Is mo north, no south. no
east, nc west" But If you could lis
ten to some of the debates In congress
you would soon come to the conclusion
that sectionalism Is a pretty strong
factor. The debate on the tariff bill
developed so much sectionalism that Ii
caused a great many members to
der whether there had been complete
unificatlon OF the sections which were
at war more than half a century ago.
Cementing Processes of War.
Ii was believed that the Spanish war
of 1898 had gone a long way toward
cementing the sections that divided In
the sixties. And 1t did, but sectional
ism has peel revived again and again
because OF the solid character OF the
southern vote, not only In the house
and senate. but I'm the electoral col
lege. The south Is largely in control
In congress when the Democrats are
In power. and the Republicans are still
willing to make that an issue In order
to regain national power at some flu
ture time.
Endorsed Barnum.
In a speech on the tariff Congress
man Hamilton of Michigan referred to
the late T.. II. Barnum and quoted him
as saying that the people like to be
humbugged. And he claimed that the
publicity agents OF the Wilson admin
istration had succeeded in re-electing
him and then went on with the follow
ing: Il have known statesmen with
no other asset above mediocrity than a
well financed publicity bureau to ad-
vertise themselves from time to time
until not only the people thought them
Indispensable, but they themselves
thought SO. Barnum was right" Ham
ilton is more or less of a humorist and
generally gets his laughter when he
has anything to say.
Hits at HsHin.
During debate on the immigration
bill Congressman Gallivan OF Massa.
ehusetts, who was earnestly opposed
to the immigration bill, took a shot
at Tom Heflin of Alabama. 1t was
only a short time before that Hefin
had been making a very earnest speech
appealing to the southland and for
southerners to stand by the president.
Ii was n Of those wonderful orations
that Helm Is capable of getting off
and Gallivan went back mt him and
asked where all this great oratory vas
to go when 1t came to standing by the
president and his veto OF the immigra
ton bill. or course Helm had no really
good answer for the sarcasm of the
Massachusetts member.
Inauguration Prices.
A great fuss was raised in the sen
ate the other day about the high prices
which visitors have to pay at the ho
tells at Inauguration time. or course
visitors generally expect to pay higher
prices Mt such times than they do
when there are not such great crowds.
but these prices are paid voluntarily
and always have been and always will
be at such times. Nearly all the sen
ators that criticise the prices have for
many years been subjected to the same
kind Of extortion at national conven-
tons. Not only are rates boosted at
national conventions In all cities where
such conventions are held. but several
persons are assigned to each room
The average five dollar a day room at
a convention time costs one man $50
or two In a room $40 each.
But these prices are paid voluntarily,
no compulsion about 1t, and that is
true In regard to all presidential inau-
g%urations.