Speech #580063745

It is entirely pertinent. but useless. to ask why this unprecedented haste to adjourn. We are told there is no time to do anything in the interests of those who are demanding legislation at the hands of this Congress. There is no time to legislate for the letter carriers. there is no time to legislate in favor of labor. neither the eighthour bill nor anything else. there is no time to take up the question of Chinese exclusion. no time for currency legislation. there is no time to take the tariff off those articles controlled by the trusts. which have boosted prices and reduced wages. there is no time for reciprocity. although urged by McKinley. there is no time to take up the servicepension bills. but I admit that that was unnecessary. as your strenuous. pyrotechnic. accidental occupant of the White House has done that by Executive enactment. but whild you can do none of these things you can take up forty minutes of time in this House today solely in the interest of one officer of the Army. This is. I suppose. what you call the "competency" of the Republican party.