West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-07-17
wAsHINoToNLETTeR.
The Record Made BY the Late sss
sion Of Congress Very unsatis-
factory to tie Republicans
The First Session Of the Fifty Seventh
Congress Presages u Democratic
Victory.

"HshiN'ioN july 10, 1907.
The Fifty-seventh Congress has
completed its first session and has
left behind il record which presages
victory for the democratic party a,
the fall elections. Between their
subserviency TO the trusts and mo-
nopolies and their desire TO e'imin ate
Mr.. Roosevelt from the presidential
possibilities of 1904, the republican
leaders have converted a session OF
Congress, during which their party
has had control, not only of both
branches of the Legislative but of the
executive department of the govern
ment as well, into a sad fasco. OF
the legislation recommended by Mr..
Roosevelt, but few measures have
been enacted and most of those
we're passed contrary to the dictum
of the leaders and only by the aid OF
democratic votes.
I /
The Isthmian Canal bill, which
has never been a party measure, has
been passed, it is true, although the
influences which prompted the
substitution of the Spooner resolu-
ton, providing for the selection OF
the Panama route, are we'll known
and 1t is further known that none
will be more sadly disappointed than
they If the examination of the
Attorney General reveals the fact
that a satisfactory title can be
furnished by the Panama Canal
company. The passage of the
Hansbrough- Newlands Irrigation bill
was opposed by Speaker Henderson,
Representatives Dalzell, Payne,
Grosvenor and other republican
leaders and only coalition of dem
ocratic and republican members
secured its consideration'and passage
by the House. The Philippine bill
is a sad makeshift which ac-
complishes nothing except the
extension of the powers of the
Philippine Commission. The re-
publicans. who have long boosted
of the sol,dity and harmony of their
party on the currency question,
were obliged, at the eleventh hour,
to eliminate the coinage provisions
because the republican members of
Senate and the House could not
reach an agreement on either a
silver or a gold basis.
TT
The breach in republican ranks
made by the opposing trusts in the
Cuban Reciprocity contests is too
recent to require more than mention
here. Even the urgent special
message of the President was fruit
less in the face of the power of the
trusts. Mr.. Roosevelt's earnest
recommendations in regard to
governmental supervision and publ
city for the trusts fell upon deaf ears,
or rather upon ears which had for
so long listened to the siren voice OF
the great moncpolies that they
recognized no other. Mr.. Roose-
velts recommendation that the
principles of general reciprocity be
extended received no consideration.
The tariff protected interests care
not for reciprocity and the interests
of the people, the consumers, are
OF small import to the type OF
statesmen which republican conven-
tons select for Congress. The
Department of Commerce advocated
by the President came to naught and
the same is true of the anti-anarchy
bill which the necessity for which
he so ably set forth.
TIT
But there was one accomplishment
in which the Fifty-seyenth Congress
failed not, the expenditure of the
public funds. Even according 10