Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-03-13
Gllindham (uuntp Reformer
BRATTLEBOR0, FRIDAY, MARCH 10, !
The Fifty-seventh Congress.

,,ooted of it and that it might easily
have attended to. Ten out OF twelve
leading measures recommended IN the
rrasident,s message, however, nave
been nassed, if we include the Panama
canal and Cuban reciprocity treat'es
now under consideration in extra SEES
sion: SO that the policy of the admin
istration may be said to have been rea-
sonably we'll carried out. The appro-
priations, according to the minority
report. aggregated $1,000, 0oo,ooo; ana
the majority admits 81. 534, loS' olo' OF
tbis. however, S50,000,OoO is for the
Panama canal and several other large
items were special legislation approved
bv the whole nation. But reckless
disregard of expense was apparent
not only in appropriations, but IN the
wasting of days and days OF session
that costs thousands of dollars each
day.
Three bills aimed at control OF the
+r,sts have been passed embodylng
legislation which, while not very
drastic, will, with proper admins
tration, put considerable restraint
upon lawless monopolies. An appro-
priation to aid in enforcing the oher-
man antitrust law has also been grant
ed and a department of labor and COM
MERGE formed under which the trusts
will be investigated. These measures
were considered sufficient to check the
trust evil and the Littletield bill, IA
yored by many as more stringent and
etfectual remedy, was therefore killed
in the senate after passing the house.
The measures passed are said to be sat
isfactory to the administration. The
people, who are chiefly concerned with
results. are now waiting to see what
the results will be before giving their
verdict. The bills provide for public
ity, prohibit rebates and discrlminat-
ing rates and give trust suits prece-
dence over ordinary ones in Federal
courts. Their value, of course, de-
pends upon the vigor of their enforce
ment.
Among other important acts of this
congress we're the removal of the tariff
on anthracite; the creation of gen.
eral staff for the army the extension
of rural free delivery; the passage OF
new bankruptcy law; the establish
ment of a national militia and of new
safeguards against undesirable immi-
+ grafton; the provision of form OF
civil government and better currency
for the Philippines; and the extension
and upbuilding of the navy.
Among the great measures which it
failed to enact were the Aldrich tinan-
cial and Fowler currency bills; the
bill to protect the president and his
succession from anarchists; the Phil
ippine tariff, Cuban reciprocity and
Panama canal bills and the omnibus
statehood, eight hour and pure food
measures. Some of these measures
were honestly rejected; but others were
talked to death simply from motives
of petty personal or party spite among
the members In order to defeat each
Others projects, they deliberately sac
rificed the wishes of the people and
wasted expensive time in a repetition
of roll calls and vain, unending speech
es. While there are, no doubt, many
honest and conscientious men among
our national legislators, too many are
evidently governed by private interests.
The story of Delaware's corrupt sena
torial campaign shows how this may
we'll be; and popular protest is arising
against this great national wrong. A
senator himself declared. in his indig
nation at the killing, by talk, of the
Aldrich bill, that the house passes
measures without debating them, while
the senate, debates but never decides
them. He declared that the senate
must change it's methods of procedure
or the people will compel change
In state of things like this, the Sc
lection of our senators is most impor
tant matter. The legislatures of many
states are now considering the plan Of
submitting the election of senators tc
the people and twenty six have already
declared in favor of it, But even this
plan will fail to be regenerative unles:
the individual voter, in sufficient mum
bers, is honest. We can not expect ar
honest government, unselfish legisla
ton, Just laws or wise administration
unless we, ourselves, are honest, unself
ish, just and wise in exercising oul
voting privileges. In a government
like ours, by and for the people, the
whole matter of public wrong, officia
disregard of duty, or dishonesty of pub
lie servants, must necessarily come
back to US, as individuals, for right
ing.
We ought to be equal to the task
But we should never forget that this
government of which we are so proud
and of whose glory and power we arr
becoming far too boastful and conf
dent, was founded on plain, homes
principles by plain, honest men
and that its continuance in prosper
GUS safety depends wholly upon tn
maintenance of those principles ant
upor tho sober inteprity of its indiyid