The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-03-11
FrFTY-sEvENrH CONGRESS

President Roosevelt says In letter
10 ex-Speaker Henderson, mo other
congress Of recent years mas to its
credit record of more substantial
achievement. Although the Philip
pine tariff bill was defeated by demo-
cratic filihustering in the senate, sS,-
oe0.ooe were appropriated to relieve
the prevailing distress in the islands
and stable currency provided. Laws
which will effectively curb the trusts
without seriously disturbing business
enterprises were enacted, and depart
ment Of commerce and labor, which
win. in conjunction with the attorney
general, enforce the new legislation,
was created. The duty on hituminous
coal has been suspended, fer a year
and anthracite has been put on the
free list. The Alaskan treaty. provid-
Ing for settlement Of the vexatious
boundary dispute, has been ratified,
Army reform has at last been secured
by the passage of Secretary Roots
general star bill. and the way has been
paved for a truly national militia. Lib
eral provisions for an enlarged navy |
have been voted, including five more
battleships, two training ships. an IN
creased personnel and double the num- |
Der of naidshipnien. Bills regulating i'm |
migration, improving the bankruptcy |
laws, compelling the use of automatic
couplers On railroads, redeeming the
Hawaiian silver currency and facili-
tating an International silver confere-
enca, extending the homestead law to
Alaska, increasing the salaries of fed
eral judges and authorizing an addi-
tional judge for the southern New York
district, have also been passed and
signed by the president. Surely this
is an admirable record. easily surpass-
ing anything accomplished in a short
session before The negative side is
also creditable to congress in several
important respects No really bad
measure of Importance has been en-
acted; the iniquitous statehood job has
been defeated and the ship subsidies
postponed until the project mas been
put in better shape Tor ensuring gen.
timely American commerce. And the
increase OF $ll40oo,GOO in the total APP
preparations is satisfactorily explained
by three extraordinary items-S5013O,-
200 for the Panama canal, an incre: Sc
Of sEo0Oo.OOO for the postal service, pro-
yiding for an enormous extension of
free delivery IN rural districts, and S46,-
c,oOc for river and harOor improve
ments.
The only blot upon the picture is fur
nished by the senate, the archaic rules
of which permit one or two men to
paralyze the majority and hold up the
nation. No reasonable person desires
that the United States senate shall
cease to be a deliberate body, but every
true republican believes in the rule
of the majority and in leliberation be-
ing followed by action Endless debate
is as absurd and pernicious as no de-
bate at all. 1t Is simply outrageous
that one man should be allowed to de-
feat the Panama treaty and handful
Of filibustarers thwart such a vital
as the Philippines tariff re-
duction bill, in defiance of an over
majority of the senate and
Of the almost unanimous opinion of
the people Mr. Cannon is perfectly
justified in calling it Legislative black
MALI and in predicting that the house
IF representatives, backed up !,y the
people, WIN some day compel change
N the senate rules which shall permit J
a majority to act after reasonable
debate.