The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-15
SHAPED THE LAST CONGRESS.
influence of Personality in the For
nation of Legislation.
Golfers Weekly.

Golfers Weekly.
When President Roosevelt sent his an
nual message to Congress on Dec :, ne
recommended legislation sufficient 10 &C.
cupy the attention of a long session There
were only three short months in which
to crowd IL all; clearly no ordinary meth
ton of the work mapped out. If there has
been any great measure of success IN
achievement of legislative results credlt
must be given first of all to the president
personality.
President Roosevelt's relations with Con-
gress are cordial. He keeps as closely In
touch with the leaders as any President in
a generation. Even under Mckinley SEN
atorS and members did not feel at nome
at the White House. Roosevelt's methods
are widely different from Mckinleys, out
in the long run il Yields interests which,
divided and selfish might balk the wishes
of a less resolute executive. He is earnest,
enthusiastic, courageous and frank. he
is as unmiStakabe as Cleveland, but not as
repelant Cleveland distrusted Congress,
and suspected the motives OF the most con-
spicuous leaders of his own party. They
retaliated by stunning the White House
Roosevelt makes it clear that he seeks CO.
operation. There is not man OF any
prominence i'm public life to-day who does
not feel that he is welcome at the White
House and who is not glad TO go there. No
President has ever accomplished more by
personal appeal TO party leaders in Con-
gress.
A dozen men in Senate and House can
come pretty near determining the character
of egislation-Aldrich, Allison, Platt OF
Connecticut. Hanna, Spooner. Lodge, Hale,
Quay, Proctor, Cannon and Henderson. A
sensible President makes II his business
to that these men are brought TO see
either their personal interests or the public
interest in the attainment of results he Is
after. Trust legislation during the present
Congress might have been an iridescent
dream if il had not been for Aldrich OF
Rhode Island. Aldrich represents great
financial interests, but he is first of all
9
that the business interests of the country
look Republican success for financial
stability and commercial progress.
There are two committees In the Senate
which might handle trust legislation-the
judiciary committee, of which Senator Hoar
is chairman. and the interstate.commerce
committee at the head of which is Stephen
b. Elkins. Senator Aldrich is "a member Of
the interstate-c0mmerce committee Sen
ator Hoar prepared a bill. Ii was not In
line with the recommendations of the Pres
ident and the attorney general The con-
sentative men in the Senate were afraid of
it. They set quietly at work to sidetrack
ii. Aldrich, Allison and Hanna decided
that they could handle the question bet
ter through the interstate-commerce COM
mittee. Without saying anything TO Sen
ator Hoar they had a bill prepared in that
administration ideas. Senator Elkins in
troduced it,.
The persistence with which the omnibus
statehood bill has held the right of way
In the Senate for many weeks Is due 10 the
personal quality OF one man-Quay. OF
Pennsylvania. Had IL not been for him the
bill would have dropped out of sight as
soon as IL became plain that the strong
men of the Republican majority were OPP
posed to IL. Quay. for reasons OF his own,
Is anxious that New Mexico should become
a State. Pennsylvania friends of his have
investments in the Territory which will be
greatly enhanced in value on the estab-
lishment of a state government. Other
senators may have friends whom they are
fafl a wi N doubtful
whether any other than Quay could have
mustered the forces necessary to put UP a
formidable fight. Quay Is a man OF his
word. whatever else may be said OF him.
What would have become OF Cuban reel
procfty IL II had not been for Plat. of Con-
necticut, II Ii hard TO say. When the Pres