The Washington times., 1924-06-07
PRESIDENT
:
I LACKED
RULE
Turbulent Session Made His
tory With Record Number
of Investigations
By WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON,
international News Service.

thrown out or It's beaten pain
way by a Observation-Disclosures
coalition, the Sixty-eighth Con-
gress faced adjournment of its
first session tonight with a record
certain to provide the dominating
issues of the coming Presidential
campaign.
Clashes with President Coolidge,
sensational disclosures of alleged
corruption in public office and the
repeated defeat Of the Administra-
ton on fiscal policies featured a
session replete with turbulent de-
bate, fractional strife and scandal.
In session only six months, the
Congress forced two Cabinet Off
GERS to resign, administered ex-
traordinary defeats to the pet
policies of two other Cabinet
members and utterly ignored the
legislative recommendations of the
President.
Insurgents Ruled.
Although the Republican party
held a paper majority, the Con-
gress was dominated by Insurgent
Progressive blocs, which paid allie
glance to Senator Robert M, La.
Toilette, Republican, of Wisconsin,
The LaFollette followers held a
balance of power" and their usual
course was to combine with the
Democrats in opposing the Cool.
idge Administration.
The GU 81 an d ng legislative
achievements were the new revenue
bill. the soldiers adjusted compen-
eatton bill and the new immigration
act, with its Japanese exclusion
clause. All three measures, passed
by one sided majorities, were writ
ten into law over the vigorous pro-
test of the President. In enacting
the bonus, the Congress even passed
1t over a Presidential veto.
Reputation of Hughes.
Passage of the new revenue act,
with it's Democratic tax schedule,
came as a flat reputation Of the
Administrators fiscal policies and
Secretary of the Treasury MELONS,
own plan for tax reduction. En-.
actment Of the Japanese exclusion
clause was in effect Reputation
of Secretary of State Hughes, who
earnestly protested against it.
The Sixty-eighth Congress, how
ever, achieved an investigating rec
ord second to none in history and
one which practically overshadowed
its legislative activity. Fully a
score Of investigations into Govern
rfY0nnfC
'tivities were under way at one
time. The highest peaks were
reached by Senate committees in
the Teapot Dome and Department
OF Justice Investigations, each of
which resulted in the ousting of a
Cabinet member.
Resignation of DENLY.
In the former, Secretary OF the
Navy DENLY resigned after the
Senate passed resolution demand
Ing his dismissal. In the latter,
President Coolidge was forced to de-
mand the resignation of Attorney
General Daugherty while a resolu.
ton to that effect was pending In
the Senate.
Because of the prominence Of
these investigations, others suffered
an eclipse, but included in the
Senate's list were inquiries into in
ternational propaganda, the Vet
Grams Bureau, the Box peace
award, alleged Texas land frauds,
the election of Senator Mayfield
CD of Texas, charges against Sen.
ator Wheeler CD of Montana. act
ing Daugherty prosecutor" and
into affairs of the Internal Revenue
Bureau. The Senate acted in only
one-when it voted an acquittal on
all charges to Senator Wheeler.
The House had two major investi.
cations, one into activities of the
United States Shipping Board, the
other into Government land grants
to the North Pacific railroad. Meth.
or resulted in legislation action.
Legislative Record.
The legislative record Of Con.
gress, in brief, follows:
1. Passage of a new revenue bill,
sharply reducing Federal taxation
and removing most of the, wartime
taxes.
2. Enactment Of a new immigra.
ton bill, limiting immigration on
reduced quotas to about $4,000 a
year, and barring all Orientals, in
GLIDING Japanese.
3. Passage of soldier bonus
Dill over the Presidents veto.
4. Adoption of a Constitutional
child labor amendment to be sub.
mitted to the States.
b. Revision of laws affecting the
care of disabled veferans fo oro
vide more humane treatment and