The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1921-07-15

additional weight since, as regular
republican, the boon of senatorial
courtesy" should be his if tradition
is given its due.
However, all testimony is now in
and the verdict will perhaps be known
by the time this letter goes to press.
Leaders of the majority party in
the senate have been thrown into
something of a quandry by the
stand Secretary Mellon has taken up
on the adjusted compensation act.
A day before reporting the bill to
the senate Senator. McCumber called
at the White House and, at least it
is so understood, conferred with the
President upon matters of finance,
including, presumably, the soldiers
bonas bill. McCumber then opened
his fight and apparently he had with
him the strength of the republican
majority, with a. single exception,
since when the vote was taken to
give the compensation bill a privi-
legged status, Senator Warren was the
the only republican to have his name
recorded against the move.
Then Secretary Melons letter op-
posing the whole proposition fell up-
on the senate like bombshell for it
had been taken for granted that the
bill was to have the support of the
administration. MELONS stand is.
presumably, to be followed by a mes
sage to the same effect from the
President since it is alreaedy rumor-
ed that Mr.. Harding is preparing to
throw the whole strength of his ad-
ministration against the bill.
Senator McCumber, however. con-
slders the bill a party pledge not to
be lightly passed over and it will be
interesting to see just what the fu-
ture will develop. The compensation
act is before the senate now and
somthing will have Ito be done with
it. If it goes back to the finance COM
mlttee it may remain there indef-
nitely but if it stays before the SEN
ate vote will have to be taken soon
er or later and many senators are al
ready said to be pledged in it's sup
port. 1t seems peculiar that the mat
ter should have gone as far as it has
If the treasury department has been
opposed to the bill from it's inception.
To the uninitiated, at least, it would
seem that the bill might easier have
been killed in the committee in the
beginning if this were the case. Now
it has awakened a nationwide inter-
est among the ex-service men and to
defeat it will most surely put some
one badly in the hole.
Senator Penrose, who is a power
in the senate if anyone is, has gone
on record in favor of the bill. Now
the Secretary of the Treasury, from
Penrose's own state of Pennsylvania,
has repudiated the act. Which is GER
tainly not an outward indication of
party harmony.
IN the house of representatives the
fight of the session is now in full
cry, following the reporting to the
house of the Fordney tariff bill by
the ways and means committee. The
democrats are said to be ready to
line up solidly against the proposed
measure but this was not true when
the Young emergency bill came to a
vote and second breaking away
from party tradition in this instance
would not occasion any great sur
prise although the present law will
scarcely draw the democratic SUPPORT
that the emergency act did. In anv-
case the democrats are now so in
the minority that even were they to
present a solid front the end would
doubtless be the same.
Certain groups among the majority
membership are billed to stage sharp
opposition to some of the rates in the
bill but these differences should be
lroned out with little time and on
the final vote the revision of the tar
iff should go over with the bulk of
the party strength.
People in North Dakota receiving
ranked copies Of Senator Ladd's
maiden speech and wondering why a
reply has not been made by some one
OF the regular republicans in the state
delegation are evidently inclined to
take the supreme effort of our new
junior senator all too seriously. The
speech itself is an almost exact rep
lica of that very, very familiar one
that is copper-plated out from the St.
Paul cannery from time to time for