Saturday, Mar. 10, 1923
Gone Home!
The 67th Congress has adjourned. It was in session 622 days out of two years, considered about 14,600 bills, and passed about 600. It snubbed the Administration and suffered much ridicule and excoriation at the hands of the public. Of the 531 members, 138 were repudiated by their constituencies.
Torn by schisms, the strong Republican Congress that convened two years ago presented a state of disorganization at the end of its career. The Senate was peevish and forgot the traditional courtesy of thanking the Vice President and the President pro tem. The House was boisterous, with the assistance of the Marine Band and much backslapping. Nobody turned the legislative clock back to prolong the last day.
The 67th Congress made peace with Germany, revised taxes, cut government expenses, provided loans for farmers, reduced naval armament, passed a high tariff and a reduced immigration bill, ratified the British debt settlement.
It failed to pass a ship subsidy, a bonus, a revised Transportation Act, a provision for American membership in a world court, reorganization of executive departments, the Ford Muscle Shoals offer, an anti-lynching bill, and 77 constitutional amendments.
Ninety-nine minor bills were run through at the last moment, all of which the good-natured Mr. Harding signed in an hour at the Capitol.