The Colorado statesman., 1919-06-28
TREMENDOUS TASK
BEFORE CONGRESS
NUMBER OF BIG PIECES OF LEG.
ISLATIoN ON PROGRAM is
UNPRECEDENTED
LONG DEBATES ARE CERTAIN
Appropriation Bills Must Be Put
Through In Hurry, but Some
Other Measures VIII Require
Great Deal of Time.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

BY EDWARD b. CLARK.
Congress is consider
ing, or already has considered In part.
program of Legislation on which near
ly every measure appears as top
liner. 1t Is doubtful II ever before
in the history of the country there were
so many big pieces of legislation be-
fore congress at one time as 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 n list of
the comparatively few things which
were given either full or partial con-
sideration 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 n 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-
vatc operation; the repeal of the lux
ury tax section of the war revenue
bill; a resolution for the investigation
of war department expenditures; the
agricultural appropriation bill, with Its
rider to repeal the daylight saving
law; the request of the railroad admin
istration for 81 ,200,000,000 for use in
operating the rail lines during the cal
endar year; army and navy appropria-
tlon 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.
1t is some list, is 1t not? One or
two of these things already have been
acted upon, but weeks and perhaps
months of discussion must follow be-
| fore even this comparatively small sec
ton of the congressional calendar can
be cleared up. 1t is perfectly futile
4 to attempt at 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 veto
than by holding off on legislation which
For two or three weeks prior to the
converting of the extra session the be-
lief 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 to their homes to get three
months rest before coming back again
for the regular session in December.
Now all such thoughts have gone down
| the wind. Congressman are all plan
ming to stay here at least until con-
vention time next year. 1t is believed
that unless something comes to change
the complexion of things the senate
VIII debate the pact Of peace and the
covenant of the league of nations for
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
ments been compelled to run money
less Once on a time the army got
along a while without any pay. Con-
gress passed an army appropriation bill,
but tackled rider on to 1t which the
president of the United States did not
like. Hayes was president at the
time.
The president cannot sign part of
bill while vetoing part of 1t. He must
1t is likely some day that the occa-
sonal mounting of riders in the sad
dies of appropriation bills will be dis
continued AS a 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 A. Mitchell Palmer
in Washington, and from other entire
ly lawless proceedings elsewhere, Is
that the mollycoddling 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 Twill 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 be stopped"
There is difference of opinion in
Washington as to whether or not the
government officials have been as ac-
tive against law breakers of all kinds
since the war began as they should
have been. The friends of the depart
ment of justice and of other depart
ments say that everything that could
be done has been done and that II
is mistake to believe that Ieriency