The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-11-01
THINGS TALKED ABOUT
IN THE NATIONS CAPITAL
Political Sparring for Advantage-Af-
ter War Conditions Now the Big
Question in Congress


has been presented in the senate be-
tween the advocates of democracy on
the one hand, and the worshippers of
autocracy on the other. The republic
cans have aligned themselves solidly
behind the Weeks resolution, which
proposes a joint congressional COM
mittee on reconstruction, to be COM
posed of an equal number of republi-
cans and democrats, to study after
war problems. Senator Overman, on
behalf of the democrats, has intro
duced bill to be offered as cout-
ter to the Weeks resolution, propos
ing a commission on reconstruction
to be composed of men appointed by
the president. In view of the manner
in which the president has made up
his commissions in the past, this
would mean commission under the
domination of Wilson, cog in the
wheel of autocracy.
The Weeks resolution would prevent
partisanship, for the two parties would
have equal representation. 1t would
place the responsibility for the work
upon congress, which, under the con-
stitution, must be responsible for the
reconstruction legislation. 1t would
give congress first-hand information,
gathered under its own direction, sup
piled promptly and without prejudice.
There could be no bias, with both par
ties equally represented, and with the
entire congress in control of the work
of the committee.
The Overman bill is entirely differ
ent in its purpose and would be differ
ent in its results. 1t proposes that
the president shall direct the COLA
ton of data upon which congress shall
enact reconstruction measures. 1t
would give the president power to
determine what lines of investigation
and study shall be pursued, what in
formation, after it has been gathered,
shall be submitted to congress, what
men shall be employed to gather the
information, what prejudices shall ex
ert an influence, and what bias shall
be manifest in the final results. We
have seen something of that hereto
fore, in the socialistic tendencies of
many of his appointees.
The issue is clearly drawn in con-
gress between those who believe in
the ability of congress to gather its
own information, and those who be-
lieve that congress must get down on
its knees and crawl to the white house
every time it contemplates important
legislation. The Weeks resolution
represents the outstanding, self-as-
serting, independent-minded Ameri-
canism. The Overman bill represents
groveling, weakened, self-abasing,
humiliating attitude of the autocracy
worshipper.
The senate will take its choice, and
it will be judged by the country ac-
cording to its own estimate of its ca
pacity as a legislative body.
Budget system demanded
The need of budget system to con-
troll the revenues and expenditures
of the government was forcibly illus
trated in the case of the emergency
power bill just passed by the house.
That measure was framed by the in
terstate commerce committee, COM
mittee that has nothing to do with
revenues or appropriations. Yet that
measure included an appropriation
of $175, 100000 to enable the president
to carry out the purposes of the act.
The members of that committee had
no knowledge whether the revenues
of the ensuing year had been so
planned as to meet that burden, nor
had they information that other ap-
preparations would be regulated as to
include that amount without exceed
ing the permissible total. Of course
the power bill is a war measure, and
the appropriation that it contains will
be met by the income from war taxa
tl0n ana ITc Sttit VI Wal bue
the arguments against promiscuous
appropriation by the committees of
congress without regard to the state
of the treasury should carry as much
weight in war as in peace. What is
needed is system that will conform
expenditures to revenues, and provide
for an intelligent survey of the fl
nanees of the government as whole.
Credit to Church and State
The death of Bishop Charles War
rem Currier, of the Cuban diocese, is
a particularly distinct loss to the coun-
try at this time because of the plans
which we entertain for a closer init
macy with the Latin American repub
lies. Bishop Currier was one of our
hest interpreters of the Latin Amer
lean mind. His familiarity with the