Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-01
CONGRESSMAN MooRE'S
LETTER
Election May Enable Senator Penrose
to Spend More Time In Washing
ton-congressman Watson
Gets Washington Home
Washinrfon. Oct. /

"hSHtuBtDu' OSb' is
SENATOR PENROSE'S return to Wash
~ ington was hailed by many of his col
leagues on the Senate side as indicating a
subsidence in the factional activities that
have plagued the Republican party in Penn
sylvania. At least that is the impression
one gathers from talks with members Of the
Senate and the House who are anxious to
have the support of Pennsylvania members
in matters of legislation.
1t is not wholly cretitable to the eastern
states that there is more absenteeism on the
part of their representatives in Congress
than there is in the South and West Be
cause of the nearness of the homes of the
eastern representatives they are more in
clined to absent themselves to attend to pri-
vate business or to keep in touch with local
political conditions than are those members
whose homes are further removed from
Washington, and it frequently happens that
eastern interests suffer because the votes
are not here when wanted. This is par
ticularly so with regard to the daylight
saving law. which might have been saved
if any one of the large city delegations had
been in full attendance when the roll was
called
The Senate appreciates the ability of the
senior senator of Pennsylvania and in view
of the coseness of the vote in the Senate
there is always feeling of relief among
Republicans when he is here. In recent
years, however, the spirit of factionalsm
among Republicans in the Keystone State has
compelled him to stay away, as, indeed, 1t has
done with Congressman Ware and some Of
the other active spirits in Philadelphia and
Pennsylvania politics. The way the leaders
here now look at it Pcnrose and Ware, too,
for that matter, will have more time to
stay here and attend to business.
IL =, Al, Il. &c e, tl,aT
has been seeking to be relieved of the fierce
political responsibility that has interfered
with his career as n statesman and that
the upheaval in Philadelphia, promising
new deal all around and less factionaism
hereafter, will enable him to buckle down
more closely to the great legislative work
that lies ahead of him as chairman of the
committee on finance.
WHILE the Philadelphia sQuabble was
w on, Chairman Fordney, of the ways
and means committee of the House, called
up number of "popgun tariff bills' and
accorded hearings on others to interested
parties. Such bills as passed the House and
have now gone to the Senate are not GER
tain of passage in that body at once. The
peace treaty discussion is still on and some
big financial bills are to be considered.
Neither Penrose nor his fellow members of
the finance committee, it is said. are wholly
enamored of the popgun idea. The passage
of separate bills for separate interests when
Mr.. Underwood was chairman Of the COM
mittee on ways and means did not meet with
much favor, such bills as were passed being
vetoed eventually by President Taft. The
feeling is that any separate bills that may
now be put up to the President will meet a
similar fate at the hands of Mr.. Wilson,
with the possible exception of the dye
stuffs bill, which has now passed the House
with the Democratic licensing feature at
tached. This bill went through after a hard
fight, in which the opponents of the licensing
feature insisted that the introduction of such
a system in a tariff bill was utterly OPP
posed to the Republican doctrine OF pro-
lection to American industries.