Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-10
RECENT CONGRESS MARKED
BY BITTEREST PARTISANSHIP
WASHINGTON HAS EVER SEEN

WASHINGTON, June 8-The
sixty-eighth congress, which ended
its first session last night, has fur
nished excitement, sensation, bitter
partisan debate and internal party
strife of a character not witnessed in
the capital in many years
Six months and four days consti-
tuted the life of the session, and for
practically all of that time the mem
bership divided attention between
the floors of the house and senate
and the committee rooms, where
cabinet officers and their assistants.
army and navy officials and host
of others passed in review before a
group Of investigating committee
which kept Washington and the
country tingling with the thrills they
furnished.
During the period two cabinet off.
GERS were forced out of office and the
two houses locked horns repeatedly
with the president over fiscal legis.
lation.
The Mellon tax bill was born dur.
ing the session, only to be discarded
for the Simmons-Democrat plan,
which President Coolidge signed after
disappearing some of its provisions.
The drastic immigration law, in.
Guiding its Japanese exclusion pro.
visions, was placed on the statute
books.
The soldier bonus law was enacted,
vetoed and re-enacted over the veto.
The Bursum pension bill for Civil
war veterans met executive disap.
prevail, as did the postal salaries in
crease bill.
Farm legislation, embodied in half
dozen measures which were put
into shape early in the session, failed
OF enactment, although efforts were
continued for it up to the last hour.
Likewise, no railroad legislation
of great Importance was placed on
the statute books. This legislation.
however, and much other was put
into position where it can be taken
up at the next session with much of
the work of hearings and investiga
ton completed
Muscle Shoals, a question which
has been in the forefront now for
many months. once more went over
Tor settlement at the December ses.
sion.
One of the important factors in
the work of the session was the bal.
ance of power held By the insurgent
group headed by Senator La Toilette
Republican. Wisconsin. This group,
by reason of the close ratio between
the Democrats and Republicans in
both houses, welded a powerful in
fluence. Joining with the Demo.
Gratis. it seated a Democrat, Senator
Smith, South Carolina, as the head
Of the senate interstate commerce
committee. In the house. again
joining with the Democrats, it forced
a revision of the rules.
The constitutional right Of con.
gress to investigate government &c.
partments was never exercised TO
greater extent. Beginning early
with the Teapot Dome inquiry, n
ate committees investigated Attor.
ney General Daugherty; the internal
revenue bureau: Russian recogniI N:
the election of Senator Mayfield. of
Texas: the existence of propaganda
touching the United States foreign
relations; charges of land frauds in
Texas; medical diploma mills" and
many other subjects.
On the house side the shipping
board. the bureau of engraving and
printing, prohibition. and many oih.
er such subjects were inquired into
REPORTS on the oil investigation
have been submitted but en- most
of the other findings have yet to be