The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-03
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SATURDAY. DECEMBER g.

from the Committee on immigration a
bill amending the immigration laws.
and it is his intention TO push for its
consideration. The principal feature
of the bill is a provision for an agent
of the United States. accompanied by
a surgeon to be stationed at all inn
pOrtant European immigrant ports to
inspect aliens seeking admission to
the United States. 1t also provides
for a head tax of 50 an immigrant.
Three years ago when Congress as
! sembled a flood of bills were presented
for the protection of the President
and those in line of succession. Some
of these measures were reported and
even reached the stage of conference be-
tween the two houses when the Fifty
seventh Congress expired. On the
| Senate calendar is a notice given by
Senator Hoar last April that on Tues
! day, Dec. 6, he would ask the Senate
| to take uD and consider a bill for the
protection of the President. Whether
| or not some member of the Judiciary
Committee will push the measure now
| that the Massachusetts Senator is dead
is not known. There is serious oppo-
sition TO the bill as it stands. and un-
| less it is materially modified it prob
ably could not pass.
Currency Legislation.
Currency legislation will be talked
about, but it probably will not be en-
acted. The Aldrich bill, the Nelson
bill, the Fowler bill and the Hill bill
as well as a number of others, are
pending before committees, but no one
has shown any particular desire to
have them passed. In fact one meas
ure is antagonistic to another and, with
no apparent danger to the finances Of
the country. those who are not eX-
perts in the matter of currency law
cannot be induced to push these meas
ures forward to the exclusion of other
business.
Reduced representation in Southern
states which have by one form or an
other, disfranchised negroes, will be
theme of discussion, but not action,
during the winter. The Republican
national platform is interpreted by
some of the more radical members of
the party to call for such reduction,
and they will go at the subject from
the beginning. 1t is well understood
that to bring about anything like a
reduced representation would require
much more time than three months
session of Congress which expires by
limitation.
No doubt a number of bills to prohib
it or control campaign contributions
will be presented as that matter be-
came an issue at the close of the re-
cent campaign. Just how it can be
reached is yet to be ascertainel, as
there are so many ways in which a
law of this kind can be avoided.
The Trusts.
The trusts will receive attention, at
least in debate, although some doubt
is expressed about any effective legis-
lation being passed. Following a cam
paign in which the trusts were made
a vital issue, it is natural to expect
that there must be a great deal of
talk on the subject whenever there is
an opportunity.
Interstate commerce legislation in
some form or another is always pend
ing in Congress and there may be an
effort to enlarge the powers of the
Interstate Commerce Commission so as
to allow it to fix rates. Railroad in
terests have and will continue to OPP
pose this measure. Another pending
measure is to permit pooling, and this
is opposed by the shippers. With so
much contention there is little pros