Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-24
DEMOCRATS TO
BLAMEFOR BILLS
CONGRESS FAILED
Their Delay in Pushing Meas
ureS Is Cause; Not Fill
burstering
Special to the Telegraph


Washington, Pa, March 24.-That
the failure of the great appropria-
ton bills and other important legis-
latlon to pass the last session of
Congress was directly and solely due
TO Democratic tardiness and not to
dilatory tactics or filibustering. is
being charged here following the
statement of President Wilson that
group of men in the Senate" have
chosen to embarrass the administra-
ton.
The failure of the committees in
Congress, controlled and dominated
in every instance by Democrats, to
report these bills to the House and
TO the Senate for their consideration
i'll time to permit their being acted
upon is pointed to as the real rea-
son by those in touch with the situa-
ton at the capital.
Within a few moments after the
adjournment of Congress, March 4.
the President issued this statement
which began as follows:
"A group of men in the Sem
ate have deliberately chosen to
embarrass the administration of
the government, to imperil the
financial interests of the rail-
way systems of the country, and
to make arbitrary use of powers
intended to be employed in the
interest of the people"
When Mr.. Wilson opened the last
session of the last Congress on De-
cember ,. he notified members of
the Congress that he was leaving at
once for Paris and a tour of Eu-
rope, and that he had no time to
make any recon- mendationS to it re-
gardinS domestic legislation. The
same afternoon he left Washington
for Europe. lie did not return to
this country until one week before
the adjournment of Congress. so that
he was not in the United States dur
ing the entirety of the last session
OF Congress. Because of this. he has
not been at all conversant with the
facts.
The President referred especially
to the failure of the general detic-
lency bill, which carried with it
among other items. appropriations
! Tor the Federal Railroad Admins
tration. and he alleges in his sta te-
| ment, that the failure to pass this
| bill 'imperiled the financial inter
ests of the railway systems of the
! country This bill was not re-
! ported to the Senate until late in the
! day, Saturday, March l. which rem
! dered its discussion impossible un-
| I'll Monday. March 8, within thirty
SIX hours of the time Congress legal
| ly expired. The bill carried appro-
( priations agsregating $4,000. .O00.
| One of the items was an appropria-
/ ton of 100000 asked for by
! the Federal Railroad Administra-
| ton to meet deficit created by the
/ Democratic Administration opera
/ ton of railroads. 1t also called for
100000 600 to be used by the Ship
| ping Board for the purchase and
! requisition of ships.
| Where the Delay Occurred
That this bill did not come from
! the Democratic House to the Senate
! until late on the day of March l,
was directly due either to the in
difference or TO the incompetence of
| the Democratic majority in the
| House, as. under the rules in that
! body, legislation can be put through
| without delay in event the majority
! wishes it.
other appropriation bills which
failed of passage were: the $780,
100000 Army appropriation bill,
carrying with it legislation for re-
/ vision of the Articles of War and
affecting the future military policy
of the United States; the S750,000,-
600 Navy appropriation bill. carry
ing with it legislation affecting the
| future naval policy of the United
States; the sundry civil bill carrying
appropriations of $3.50. 100000, and
with it legislation affecting the
merchant marine OF the United
States; the agricultural appropria- =
ton bill. calling for sS0,00O,O00.
The Democratic majority in the
| House had the Army appropriation
bill nearly three months before they
sent it to the Senate. The records
show that it was not passed by the
House until February %, only seven
days prior to the legal expiration of
the Congress. 1t then had to be
considered in Senate committee be-
fore being reported to the Senate for
action. According to a statement
made in the Senate by Senator New
of the Senate committee on military
affairs, that committee worked
every minute day and night" in an
effort to get it in shape to report
to the Senate for final action. The
$3.50, 100000 naval appropriation
bill was in the House for over two
months before it was sent to the
Senate.
Both the Army and Navy appro-
priation bills carried with them, in
violation OF legislative procedure,
new legislation. They not only au-
thorzed the expenditure of $4,000, =
600, 900 in the aggregate. but they
committed the nation to a military
and naval policy affecting the future
generations very vitality. The naval
bill vested in the President of the
United States autocratic powers that
were not vested in him even in times
of war.
Other bills failed of nassape for