Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-12-03

| CAaC WOo ASSSDGoiJ SooiA ~ e"SSSAAA
plished during the short session OF
Congress, the idea being that revision
would be on the lines of reduction and
would meet with little or no opposi-
ton. If more revenue is needed and
Tit is found necessary to add some in
ternal revenue taxes, opposition may
| be more pronounced. Revenue legis-
lation of any kind is sure to create
considerable talk in the Senate and
that means delay. In fact it has be-
come known that under present condi-
tions legislation during the short ses-
sion is enacted by practically unani-
| nous consent. Any half dozen sena-
| tors who determine to defeat bill
| have the power to do SO, with the priv
| ilege of unlimited debate. In the
House the stringent rules enable the
| majority to transact all business it de-
sires and so far as that body is con-
| cerned there is no difficulty about any
| legislation that may be attempted, but
| if the leaders do not want tariff revi-
sion or change in the revenue laws
| nothing will be done.
The unfinished business in the Sen
ate is bill PASSED by the House pro-
viding for the construction of rail-
roads in the Philippine Islands by
guarantee of five per cent income up
on the money invested in such roads.
The bill also provides for issuing Phil
| ippine bonds for ther Internal i'm
provements in the Islands, and in sew
eral other particulars amends the
Philippine laws passed by Congress.
The bill met with a great deal of op-
position during the last Congress. but
Senator Lodge, who has it in charge,
says he will press it from the beginning
! Of the session and hopes TO secure its
passage. The principal opposition was
to the provision which guaranteed an
income to the railroads, and little OBJ
lection was made to other features of
the bill. Another bill for the Philip
pines, which has been urged by Sec
! retary Taft and the President, as we'll
as nearly every one interested in the
Philippines, provides for material
reduction of the duty on sugar and to-
| bacco as we'll as other Philippine
! products. In fact free entry of these
products has been recommended. The
sugar and tobacco interests were
strong enough in the past to defeat any
substantial reduction, and the law now
provides for a duty of rs per cent Of
/, the Dingley rates. A demand for re-
duction to 25 per cent has been quite
frequently presented to Congress.
Another measure which received the
sanction of the House last session, but
| which has never been pushed in the
Senate is the statehood measure which
provides for two States, doubling up
the territories of Oklahoma and Indian
| Territory as one and Arizona and New
| Mexico as another. This bill, like
any other which may encounter oppo-
sition in the Senate, could be easily
defeated and advocates of separate
statehood for all the territories are
likely to pursue that course.
Should the House Of Representatives
| decide to impeach Judge Charles
Swayne of the northern district of
Florida, the business conditions of the
Senate would be complicated. After
an investigation, majority of the
| House committee on Judiciary in the
last session recommended impeach-
ment. Consideration of the resolution
was postponed until December 13, the
beginning of the second week of the
short session. Meanwhile, the Judici.
ary Committee was instructed to take
further testimony, a task it began two
weeks ago. Present indications are
that the House will not authorize an
impeachment, or if it does, the action
will be taken so late in the session that
the real proceedings will go over until
the next Congress. There are prece
dents for such action in other impeach
ment cases that have been before Con
gress.
i It is somewhat doubtful if vote will
be reached in the Senate in the case
of Senator Reed Smoot, of Utah. This
case attracted a great deal of attention
last session when the committee OF
Privileges and Elections summoned
the heads of the Mormon Church tt
: tell what had been going on of a po
lygamous character in Utah and thou
sands of persons petitioned daily tt
, have Smoot elected from the Senate
A score or more of witnesses are We
to be examined, and the defense ha
) not even begun, so that it is eviden
t that before a report is made to the Sen
. ate, the session will be SO far spen
e that no serious attempt will be mad
= to reach q vote upon Senator Smoot'
g title. Some question has arisen as t
/. whether the case lapses with the en-
Of the present Congress. It was tn
i opinion of the late Senator Hoar ths
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