The Sauk Centre herald., 1925-03-05
LETTER
Especial to Sauk Centre Herald)

Washington, March 3-In the clos
ing hours of the Sixty-eighth Con.
gress there is one question which
holds sway. "Will the President
sign?" Those sponsoring various leg
islative measures which require the
consent of the Chief Executive wonder
if Mr.. Coolidge will resort to pre-.
rogative of his high office and exer'
else the much dreaded "pocket veto.
The other members of Congress who
are leaving their official position vol
UNFAIRLY or in accordance with THEN
standing in the election last Novem-
Der, are taking up considerable time
to deliver their swan songs.
The "pocket veto" does not mean
that by merely placing a bill in his
vest pocket the President kills the
legislation. Actually, the term de-
scribes the procedure by which the
Chief Magistrate disapproves meas
ure without bothering to return the
bill to Congress with a veto message.
If Congress adjourns within the ten
days allowed the President for re-
turning a measure the bill is lost.
This method of thwarting the will OF
the legislative body is never very
popular with Presidents. Most of
them have preferred to veto meas
ure and state their reason. If Con-
gress is very determined it can muster
two-thirds vote and pass over the
veto. This likewise is rare practice
The President has been agitated by
the nationwide protest against the
action of Congress to increase their
own salaries from $500 to $4,000
per year. The amount of money in
volved in the increase is relatively
small. 1t is the principle not the mil
lion dollar appropriation which has
provoked discussion. The fact that
no roll call was taken makes it i'm
possible to determine just who voted
to help themselves.
Under pressure from the home dis.
tricts some members of the Senate
and House have been writing theil
alibi in the Congressional Record
Some of these explanations are en-
tightening. 1t is obvious that if ev.
cry congressman who wrote out his
extension of remarks for the Con.
gressional Record had actually made
these remarks on the floor their sal
aries would have been increased. eek
tension of remarks is privilege which
allows member to deliver his speech
exclusively to mis- stenographer or in
some cases have the stenographel
prepare it for him and then have il
printed in the official record.
During the last week members Of
the Senate and House have been as
docile as school boy. Inasmuch as
votes are very important party lead.
ers have endeavored to keep down the
number of absentees and have even
forced night sessions to make up fol
time lost during the early part of the
Congress. When it is whispered that
a "whip order is out" legislators who
are inclined to be tardy or skip ses.
sion find themselves forced to partic.
ipate in the deliberation. Under
stress of party responsibility they
lose their individuality and become
just a vote. The individual senator
or congressman honored by their re.
spective parties as "whip" has a diff,
cult task, for in reality he is nothing
more than a truant officer to a lot
of unruly men. He has list of ad.
dresses and private telephone mum.
bers at his disposal. Several import.
ant social functions have been brok.
en- up this week and many society
matrons have found themselves with.
out an escort when orders are de.
livered from Capitol hill.
Though several attempts weTe
made, few major bills relating to ag.
riculture were passed at this session
1t is said that several self-styled
spokesmen for the farmers attempted
to becloud important issues by using
the old cry of relief for the down
trodden agricultural class. Senator
Glass, Democrat, of Virginia, and
former Secretary Of the Treasury, re
Gently took Senators Hiram johnson
and Tom Heflin to task for their at
titude. Very tersely, Senator Glass
described the situation in Congress,
as follows: "The sooner we quit go
ing through the wretched pantomine
of legislating the farmer into pros
perity the sooner the farmer will
prosper. The sooner the farmer real