The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-23
WORK OF CONGRESS
REVIEW OF WHAT 1T HAS ACCOM-
PLISHED.
MANY IMPORTANT MEASURES
HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE STATUTE
BOOKS.

Secure It-Members Beginning to
Take stock" of what They Have
DOne-Acts That Review Shows
Have Made the History of the
Fifty-seventh Congress.
BY r. NJ. Larner.
Washington, Feb. Ex-senator FL
kins is authority for the statement
that there will be no extra session, and
also that the statehood bill will be
passed and the Panama canal treaty
ratified.
Senator ElIlins is one of the craftiest
men in the Senate, and he is not given
to making rash predictions. He is
prominent in the councils of the Re-
publican party, a successful business
man and an adroit politician, and is
generally we'll posted as to what is go
ing on in Congress. He is an ardent
advocate of the passage of the state
hood bill, and also a friend of the
Panama canal project, because he does
not believe there is any chance for the
Nicaragua scheme to go through. If
he were opposed to both of these prop
ositions, he says his judgment would
still be, from from he knows of the
party programme, that both of these
measures will be satisfactorily adjust
ed before the present Congress ad-
iourns.
In the meantime, Republicans and
Democrats are beginning to take
stock" of what has been done in the
way of legislation by the second ses-
sion of the Fifty-seventh Congress.
Opinions differ as to the net results,
and conservative men are Withholding
their estimates until the parliament
tary clouds which now seem to en-
velop the fog bank (the Senate), roll
by.
No DO-NOthinE Congress.
Whatever may be the result of the
present complications tying up the
Senate, it can be said in honesty that
the Fifty-seventh Congress has accom-
plished many important things. Look
ing back upon the first session of this
Congress and taking into considera-
ton the more important measures en-
acted at this session, as well as the
first, it will be seen that the record
of the achievements is by no means
an unimportant one.
RernapS OF all OF the dClS OF lHlS
Congress the passage of the bill pro-
Viding for the construction of the in
ter-oceanic canal will generally be re-
garded the most important, Under
this act the waters of the Pacific and
the Atlantic are to be connected by
a great ship canal, constructed by the
United States government, to be for
ever maintained by this government,
for the benefit of the commerce of the
world.
In many respects this act was a re-
markable departure from the usual
lines of legislation, because here we
have one government bearing the
burden of the great improvement from
which all of the rest of the world is
to benefit. OF course, it is expected
that the benefits to be derived by this
government in a naval sense and by
the commerce of it's people will be
greatly in excess of the benefits to
be derived by other governments and
the business interests of the citizens;
but that the canal, when constructed,
is to be absolutely neutral, with no
advantages given to American ships
over those of other nations, presents
a spectacle unique in the history of
legislation.
Trust Legislation Weak.
For political purposes the Republi-
cans will endeaVor to make it appear
that important trust legislation was
enacted by this Congress. The record
made in this line is, however, more
notable for what Congress has failed
to do, than for what it has done. Meas
ured by the advanced promises Of
President Roosevelt and those Repub-
licans who join with him in his Wig
orous antitrust campaign, the per-
formances have been pitiful. Only as
the result of constant proddng by the
Democrats has any legislation at all
calculated to restrict the great trusts
and monopolies been put upon the
statute books.
During the years that have followed
the Republican victory in 1896. the
trusts have increased wonderfully and
have grown to abnormal size. The
proper execution by the Republican
Attorney General of the laws on the
statute books would have acted as a
powerful deterrent. This has been
made clear by the decisions of Judge
Grosscup in the beef cases. The legis-
lation, which the Republicans are pro-
claiming as being a powerful anti
trust legislation, in reality will
strengthen the present law but little,
If any. The Democrats have sought to
secure the passage of real antitrust
legislation, but the Republican leaders
put their feet down upon this pro-
gramme. and President Roosevelt was
compelled to acquiesce in their decis-
ion. From a practical standpoint,
therefore, the trust legislation of this
Congress is hardly worth mentioning.
The creation of the new Department
of Commerce and Labor is, however.
a piece of legislation of Importance.
West Got Its Irrigation.
Another highly important law passed
by the present Congress is the irriga-
ton act, which promises so much ben
eft to the arid country of the West.
This was accomplished by a combna-
ton of Western representatives and
the Democrats over the protest of the
administration leaders, though the
President himself was in favor of It,
The Philippine legislation enacted by
this Congress is of high Importance.
At the first session there was the civil
government bill, the effect of which
was to firmly indorse all that which
had been done in this line by the Presi-
dent acting under the war power in
vested IN him. There was a long fight
over this. made by a few men for
political purposes, but it was a neces-
sary act in line with the American
policy of furnishing civil government
for the islands, and will bring undoubt-
ed benefits TO the Filipinos.
At this session the passage of the
Philippine coinage bill is one of the
most important pieces OF legislation
that could be devised for the islands