The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-03-13

any recent Congress that has passed
SO many important bills or SO many
bills that required great efforts to
pass.
1t abolished, for instance, the
war taxes levied in 1898 for the
support of the government during
the Spanish war. We all knew, of
course, that these taxes would be
abolished sooner or later, but
scarcely hoped that it would be
done so soon after the war was
closed. Our experience in the
civil war had convinced us that
taxes once levied for military pur-
poses usually continue long after
war has ceased; and nearly all
European powers have witnessed
the same conditions. That the
war taxes should be repealed four
years after the war was closed was
expected by none.
Even more important was the
passage Of the Panama Canal bill.
Here. too, Congress did better than
we had expected So many years
had been wasted in the discussion
of transisthmian canal, and the
opposition to any canal was so
strong, if secret, that We had given
up the hope of doing anything
practical in less than score of
years. But the question was taken
up in the right spirit and the bill
pushed through Congress. 1t is
true that the Panama Canal treaty
still hangs fire. but this is due
wholly to filibustering. and the
difficulties in the way will be easily
disposed of in the extra session
The Chinese exclusion act was
renewed with some additional pro-
visions. covering points which
have been made clearer by ex-
perience and which will strengthen
1t. Here, again, there was some
opposition, but not of such a ser
ious character as to endanger the
success of the bill.
The creation of the Department
of Commerce and Labor is another
act of the Congress which has been
under consideration for several
years. The arguments in favor OF
creating a department with control
over all matters affecting labor and
commerce were strong, but the
necessary bills were defeated time
and again or lost in the session.
The late Congress has finally act
ed, incorporating III the measure
passed by it provisions that may
prove useful in regulating or con
trolling the trusts.
Another long delayed measure
passed by Congress is the irriga-
ton bill, which promises to help
the arid regions of the West.
Taking all these facts into con-
sideration, il will be no easy mat
ter to say whether Congress should
he praised or criticised. 1t has
passed many important measures
it has lodged" or defeated num-
Der of others that could and should
have been acted on. The State
hood bill should have been dis
posed of, and preventing a vote on
it was cheap political trick. The
failure of trust legislation was not
unexpected. The Republicans
made loud threats of what they
proposed to do in the way of de
stroying the trusts, and the Presi-
dent played to the galleries on this
subject, but few people took any
stock in these promises. and it was
generally believed that the Repub-
Leans would find some way of let
ting the trusts down easily.
If, however, some desirable
measures failed of consideration
and action, We were fortunate III
escaping many danger points. 1t
looked not long ago as though the
Crumpacker bill, aimed at the
South. would be acted on in some
way or other, but this disturbing
legislation has fortunately been
defeated. Altogether. there was
less offensive and obnoxious legis-
lation than usual.