The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-06-28
TREMENDOUS TASK
BEFORE CONGRESS
NUigCS OF BIG PIECES Or Leg
lsLATIoN ON PROGRAM is
UNPRECEDENTED.
LONG CE3ATES ARE CERTAIN
Appropriation Bills Hust ee Put
Through in Hurry, but Some
Other Measures viii Require a
Great Deal of Time.
Cy COWARD 3. CLARK.

WaSh'ugtun.-Cuu i consider
Ing. or already has considered in part.
p program Of legislation on which near
~ every measure appears a. Il top
liner. II * doubtful if ever before
in the history OF the country Their" were
So many big pieces of legislation be-
fore congress at one time ~ is the
case today. and in saying this one Is
mindful of those congressional periods
in which the country WAS engaged in
war
1t is only necessary To take Il list or
the comparatively few things which
were given either full or partial con
Sidcration in one or the other of the
two houses within the space of four
days In order To prove the point OF
the legislative Importance of this Ses-
sion.
In less than handful of extremely
hot weather days congress discussed
The woman suffrage amendment; the
peace treaty: legislation for the return
Of telegraph and telephone lines To pri-
vGtC operation; the repeal of the lux
ury tax section of the war revenue
ill; resolution for the investigation
Of war department expenditures; the
agricultural appropriations bill, with It's
rider TO repeal the daylight saving
law: the request of the railroad admin
istratiOn for 81 POO. O0O0O for use in
operating the rail lines during the cal
endar year: army and navy appropria-
tior bills: enforcement of wartime
and constitutional prohibition. and leg
islation concerning the display of the
red flag in public demonstrations.
Will Require Months of Work.
II is some lisS, Is Ii not? One or
two of these things already have been
acted upon. hut weeks and perhaps
months of discussion must follow be-
fore even this comparatively small sec
ton of the congressional calendar can
h cleared up. II is perfectly futile
To attempt ut this early stage of the
session to prophesy what congress will
do in many of these matters. The
Republican majority. of course, must
consider the possibility of preSiden-
tial vetoeS and must make up its mind
whether it will profit more by a veto
than by holding off on legislation which
is certain To meet the 81 forbid"
For two or three weeks prior to the
converting of the extra session the be-
| liei of byStanders and onlOokers in
Washington was that September would
see the close of debates and that at
| that time the congressman might re-
! turn tn their homes to get three
months rest before coming back again
! for the regular session in December.
Now all such thoughts have gone down
.ha wind Congressman are all plan
ming to stay here at least until con-
v'ntiop time next year. II is believed
that unless something comes To change
tho complexion of things the senate
will debate the pact Of peace and the
months.
Haste With Appropriation Bills.
There is speed being made on the
appropriation bills. 1t is absolutely
necessary in order To run certain
branches of the government that these
bills shall be put through and signed
by the president before the advent of
July. Not very many times in the his
tory of the government have depart
mcnts been compelled to run money
! less. Once on time the army got
along A while without any pay. Con-
greSs passed an army appropriation bill,
hui tackled n rider on To il which the
president of the United States did not
like. Hayes was president at the
! time.
The president cannot sign part of n
bill while vptoing part Of it. He must
either sign or veto the whole thing.
II is likely some day that the Occa-
SiOnal mounting of riders in the sad
dies of appropriation bills will be dis
continued. As rule the riders never
reach their destination.
Uncle Sam Reused by REDS"
The lessons that the officials who
believe in punitive measures draw
from the attempted assassination of
| Attorney General 4. Mitchell Palmer
| In Washington. and from other entire
ly lawleSs proceedings elsewhere. is
that the mOllycoddlng of anarchists is
| more dangerous to the public than
hanging them.
1t is promised now by the Wash
| ington officials that the attacks by
bomb throwerS will only increase and
! extend the activities of our crime
detecting forces. We are determined
now as heretofore that organized crime
| directed against organized government
In this country shall he stopped"
There is Il difference of opinion in
! Washington as tn whether or nor the
government officials have been as ac-
| tive agsin law breakers of all kinds
since the war began as they should
have been. The friends of the denort-
ment of justice and of other depart-
mentS say that everything that could
be done has been done and that II
rs mistake 10 believe that leri4ucy
with certain classes of disturbarS has
been the rule and that as a result NJ
temptS at terrorism have increased
1t is necessary To 20 into an ANALYSIS