The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-02-22
SENATE'S WORK
IS "BL0cKADED'
STILL, Al Necessary Business
viii 30 Done by March a.
TO AVOID EXTRA SESSION
Former Speaker Cannon Dwells Upon
Increasing Power Exerted Over Con-
ersss by Presidents-Sherman Be-
rates Some Agricultural Experts.
Hard Grind For Military Students.


Fotes ooWe AGRICULTURAL GSPcTts
Hard Grind For Military Students.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. Feb. 21.-[Special,l J.
Pressure is the word that applies to
congress at the present time. and es-
pecially to the senate, where there Is
a practical blockade Of business. To
the novice there IL apparently such a
tangle and such a pressure as to make
IL appear that the necessary business
OF the session cannot be completed by
noon on March 4. And yet In order 70
avoid an extra session all the neces-
'sary business will be completed. nee
essary" in this Instance meaning the
supply bills. IL may be that existing
appropriations will be continued by a
joint resolution. that method having
heretofore been used when one or more
Of the big appropriation bills fail.
President and Congress.
Once In awhile a man will arise In
either the senate or house and protest
against the influence which the presi-
dent exerts on congress to force legis-
lation. Speaking on this subject one
day, the venerable former Speaker
Cannon said:
Woodrow Wilson, your president
and mine, il a great man. a wonderful
ly great man." And then he had some
thing to say about the membership of
the senate and house and added: 1T Is
not with malice. but with sorrow | say
it-more and more under our presi-
dents-President Roosevelt and under
our President Taft and under our pres
ent president, who can give them both
cards and spades in bossing congress
the president has sent the fiat out and
Is controlling legislation"
Raidsd the Exports.
Senator Lawrence Sherman of Illinois
showed that he had very little use for
some Of the so called experts of the
agricultural department, to the extent
OF nearly half a column In the Record,
and he pointed put the shortcomings
OF some Of these experts.
They could not tell hard cider from
branch water" was one of bis com
parsons. Another was that the ex-
pert would not know IA Holstein COW
from a Brahman priest In a Hindu
temple"
That this was amusing to the senate
and that 1t was considered humorous
may be assured, because Sherman's
speech was frequently i~nterspersed
with the word Laughter" which is
something rare In the senate speeches.
A Never Ending Complaint.
There Is always a complaint about
twice a year after the annual or semi
annual examinations at the Military or
Naval academy, more particularly the
Naval academy, when a lot of young
men who try to become officers are
dropped because they are deficient In
studies. II a congressman Is really
In a boy he at once makes a
point that there is discrimination at
the academy and that the boys do not
receive fair treatment. This Is a sub
ject that comes up every time the
naval bill Ii under consideration. and,
strange to say, no one seems to have a
real idea Of what takes place at either
Of the academies.
A Hard Grind.
The fact Is that any boy who wants
to go through the Military or Naval
academy must be physically fit and
mentally equipped for a very hard
grind In various complex studies. 1t
often happens that some very bright
young men cannot get the hang of the
various studies at the academies.
More than that, a boy must have the
power Of concentration, which Is some
thing that is often absolutely lacking
In young men, even after they have
passed into manhood. 1t Is alt0geth-
err surprising. therefore, that only
sixty young men out Of 1000 were
found deficient at the last examina-
ton at the Naval academy.
Moors's Nerve.
Congressman ]. Hampton Moore Of
Pennsylvania and Congressman Rags
dale OF South Carolina were having a
controversy, In the course OF which
Ragsdale remarked that Moore's mind
was rather limited"
when l speak of the gentleman
from South Carolina my mind is unlim-
tied" remarked Moore.
That may be true responded
Ragsdale. There are a great many
things the gentleman possesses that
are unlimited. His nerve Is one of
them"
Second In Command.
On account Of the illness of various
senator's 1t sometimes happens that q
second In command has charge OF bills.
Senator Smith of South Carolina, ow-
Ing to the illness OF Senator Gore, had
charge OF the agricultural a~ppropria-
tiOn bill In the senate. At one time II
looked as II Senator Hardwick would
have to take charge Of the postofice
appropriation bill owing to the illness
Of Senator Bankhead, the chairman
- that oxrn~~nn IA A. - -