Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1901 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

From Our Own Correspondent t At last Congress is in session. Promptly at noon Monday the gavels of Senator Frye, the new president of the Senate, and of Alexander M. Dowell, Clerk of the House, called those bodies to order and the opening session of the Fifty-Seventh Congress was thereby inaugurated. In the Senate, Senator Hanna was promptly recognized by the Chairman and. in a few well chosen words, informed his colleagues of the death of President McKinley and moved adjournment out of respect to the deceased. The motion carried unanimously. In the House the members were sworn in, the speaker, Genera! Henderson, and the other officers elected, seats chosen by lot, with the exception of that of exspeaker, Galusha A. Grow, who in accordance with precedent, was permitted to choose his seat before the lottery commenced. As soon as Speaker Henderson had taken possession of the chair he recognized Representative Grosvenor of Ohio who formally announced the death of the late President and moved that the house adjourn out of respect to the dead until Tuesday, his motion, of course, carrying unanimously. The democratic minority, which completed its organization in caucp.s on Saturday, though small in numbers is prepared for vigorous action and strenuous opposition to the extravagant expenditures of public funds which’ is characteristic of the republicans when in control of both Congressional chambers.

As I have already predicted in these letters, Representative Richardson, of Tennessee, was nominate d for the speakership, a purely complimentary nomination but one that carries with it the leadership of the democratic forces in the current Congress. Mr. Richardson’s ability as a parliamentarian, his quiet but determined methods of warfare and the gentle and dignified manner with which he can excoriate his opponents when their indifference to the public welfare demands it, all combined to render him exceptionally well qualified for the responsibilities of his position. Republican majorities in both House and Senate are too large to permit of the democrats taking the initiative in the introduction of needed legislation but they will persistently and consistently urge the reduction of the tariff, at least in so far as its provisions are prohibited, whether they see that such reduction will most surely be accomplished by the ratification of reciprocity treaties or by a change of the tariff schedules. ■

An especial effort will be made to secure the abolition of the war revenue tariff. It will be remembered that the original war revenue bill, justified only on the ground that this country was at war with Spain, aimed at providing an extra income of *100,000,000 per annum. Last session, the republicans having announced that the war was over, an effort was made to secure the repeal of the law. the democrats using every means in their power to relieve the people of this unnecessary burden, but they succeeded only in so far as they compelled the republicans to pass a measure which reduced the revenues by $30,000,000. The remaining $70,000,000 a year has continued to accumulate in the Treasury until the surplus has assumed proportions which the republican Secretary of the Treasury has been forced to admit are inimical to the welfare of the country.

A constant effort at retrenchment in expenditures and the curtailment of extravagant appropriations will be exerted and it is hoped that unity of action under the direction of an able leader may accomplish much along these lines. Legislation calculated to control or suppress the trusts will be demanded by the democrats and the anti-trust measure, which the republicans buried in a Senate Committee last session, will be resuscitated and many repulican congressman will bo placed in a position where they will be compelled to vote for it or absolutely stultify themselves and violate the pledges which they made in the recent campaign. The democrats realize that, small as may be their numbers, they have the American people back of them in their fight on the trusts and they will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to force the republican majorities to heed the peoples’ wish.

At the democratic caucus held Saturday morning, after Mr Richardson had been nominated for speaker, Mr. Kerr, of Pennsylvania sot clerk,' etc., a number of resolutions were presented and eventually referred to a committee which was instructed to report to a caucus to be held on January 10th. The resolutions included a

condemnation of the highly protective features of the tariff, a condemnation of the trusts, and of all legislation which enabled American manufacturers to sell to foreign producers more cheaply than to American consumers; an expression favoring “just and generous treatment of Porto Rico and Cuba, and an expression of opposition to the ship subsidy bill as presented at the last session, and to all measures designed to use the public funds for the benefit of private interests. They also expressed determination to insist op the “sacred force of the fundamental American rule of democratic self-government” and opposition to any colonial form of government. Other resolutions provided for the internal government of the democratic minority; condemned the solicitation of patronage from the administration and opposed any change in the existing standards of values, the latter resolution being favored by eastern and opposed by western democrats. At the republican caucus which was held on Saturday afternoon and which was attended by one hundred and forty-six members, the regular slate, as previously outlined in these letters was nominated and then Colonel “Pete” Hepburn made his usual attack on the “Reed rules.” He dwelt on the inordinate power which thqy conferred on the Speaker and protested that they violated the spirit of the Constitution which intended that all members should have an equal footing on the floor of the House. He was opposed%y General Shattuc of Ohio and by Mr. Dalzell, the leading republican member of the Committee on Rules, who had moved the adoption of the “Reed rules.” For a time it looked as if there would be a split, but republican dicipline finally prevailed and the rules were adopted. Had Mr. Hepburn been really sincere in his opposition to the rules, which make it impossible for any member to express an opinion in the House without first having secured the permission of the speaker, he would have brought up the subject on the floor of the House where democratic assistance would have rendered his efforts successful.