Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-12-19
CONGRESS IN SESSION.
Economic Problems Both Serious and
PerpIexinE Are to De
Solved.


convened. The long session with
it's six months of legislative la
Dor lies before it. The time is all too
short to dispose of more than few
of all the grave questions which
await consideration and which it is
the popular desire should be consid-
cred maturely and disposed of saga
ciously.
The Fifty-fifth congress had war
on it's hands soon after it met. The
skies are clear now. In all human
probability this congress will have
no military problems to demand its
attention, but there are economic
problems which are both serious and
perplexing. They are problems which
cannot be disposed of satisfactorily
by men governed by their emotions
or their prejudices. Their solution
calls for the services of intelligent
and dispassionate men who are not
swayed by personal feelings or inter
ests, says the Chicago Tribune.
The number of persons who believe
that the great industrial comhina-
tions which have been organized of
late years and which are portent of
still greater combinations to come
should be subject to some extent to
federal supervision and control is in
creaSing. Congress is expected to de-
termine whether such control is law
full, and, if so. TO provide for the eX-
ercise of it. The transportation ques-
tion has not been disposed of by the
interstate commerce law, and the
pressure for its amendment so that
it shall be more effective has not
abated. The latest phases of railroad
combination will attract the atten-
tion of congress even if they do not
induce it TO take action concerning
them.
The subject of the enlargement of
foreign markets for American prod
ucts is one which all farmers, and
cattle raisers, and a steadily increas-
ing number of manufacturers are
deeply interested in. When President
Mckinley said at Buffalo that what
we produce beyond our domestic con
sumption must have a vent abroad"
and that ''reciprocity, the natural
outgrowth of our wonderful industri-
al development" should provide that
vent, he gave them sentiment they
heartily approved of. They look to
the Fffty-seventh congress for action
in this direction.
That congress finds upon the stat
ute books taxes which are producing
revenue far in excess of the legiti-
mate needs of the government. 1t
finds there taxes which were imposed
to meet the expenses of a war which
ended three years ago. These taxes,
all of them needless and some most
vexatious, cannot be wiped out too
soon.
The murder of President Mckinley
has brought to the front a new and
difficult question. How shall anarchy
be dealt with? What can be done to
protect the man at the head of the
American government from assassin
alton because he is at its head? The
wisdom of congress will be taxed to
find an adequate answer.
Congress has ON its hands the 18TH
mian canal question. The ratification
of the new Iay-Pauncefote treaty
will remove the last obstacle in the
way of the construction of great
work. 1t has also to deal with the
Chinese exclusion question. 1T is eX-
pected to meet the wishes of the peo-
pie by reenacting the existing law.
The important subject of freer trade
relations with Cuba will have to be
met. The increase of the navy will
demand attention.
Congress has more than enough
subjects to occupy all its attention,
and to put to the test its ability to
legislate wisely. The republican
party is in the majority in the senate
and in the house. 1t will be held re-
sponsible if anything is done wrong
ly or if anything which ought to be
done is left undone. Therefore, the
old hands who run things" will have
to avoid hasty and imperfect legisla-
tion on the one hand, and to avoid in
curing popular displeasure by ig-
noring the demand for legislation on
certain subjects on the other hand
Much hard work confronts them.