Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-01-13

If Congress Does Not Get in Line and Pull for
Necessary Legislation Little Joker"
Is Found in the EIkins Anti Rebate Law-lt
Provides for Fine Instead Of Imprisonment
The Panama Cnnal Situation.
From our regular Gorrespondent)
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 5.
The President cast bomb into the
Senate and the House ON the day they
convened after the holiday recess by
permitting it to become known that
he was seriously contemplating call.
ing Congress in special session next
June. Senators and Representatives
rushed to the White House to inquire
if such plan we're seriously contemp.
lated by the President, only to learn
that it was and then they gathered in
cloak-rooms and committee.rooms to
discuss the situation. Nothing would
be more unwelcome to the average
member Of Congress than to be called
to Washington just at the beginning OF
the heated term and at time when
most of them are planning vacations
and pleasurejaunts, but they received
no comfort from the President who
expressed himself disguised with the
disposition of Congress to procrssti-
nate with regard to needed legislation
and to make an excuse of the fact that
this is short session to do nothing.
The President was even unkind enough
to suggest that hot weather might
prove an incentive to expeditions work
and that time and expense might be
saved the country by keeping the re.
fractory Congressman sin alter school,"
so to speak.
It is not likely that the President
will call special session June l, but
it seems probable that before abandon
ing the idea he will have secured
pledges that the legislative reforms on
which he is insisting shall be under
taken at special session to be called
the first Of November and it may even
DO necessary to enact some important
bill before adjournment, March 4, to
induce him to abandon his idea. At
the beginning Of this session the Presi.
den was Of the opinion that Congress
should meet in extra session in the
Spring, to revise the tariff. He was
dissuaded from this programme by
prominent members OF both houses,
notably by Senator Aldrich, who ap.
parently assented to the plan of revis.
ing the tariff in November. During
the holiday recess the President
learned that Mr.. Aldrich was planning
a European trip for the summer and
had made his arrangements to remain
abroad until about the first of Decem.
Der. OF course the Senate would not
undertake any readjustment of . the
tariff schedules If Mr.. Aldrich were
absent and the President became con.
WINGED that the chairman of the FL
nance committee was not dealing
openly with him. Then it was that he
decided to announce that he was con.
sidering the advisability of calling q
special session for June /, and the in
formation brought Mr.. Aldrich to
Washington, by the first train. What
the outcome will be it is impossible to
foretell.
The assumption that large Republi.
can majorities in Congress will permit
any material reduction OF the tariff, or
any legislation which will seriously
curtail the profits Of the railways, or
hamper the efforts of the trusts to
centralize wealth in their own treas.
uries is one Of the happy. hsllucina.
lions which the President still cher.
ishes, but 10 the words Of Republi.
can leader Of the House. Mr.. Roose.
welt will be'a wiser aud . better man
before he has completed the term for
which he has just been elected"
The discovery Of evidence that the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail
way Company has been guilty OF fla
grant violation Of the snti.rebate Law
has led 10 the further discovery Of
what 10 popularity called . "joker" 10
the Elkins' anti.rebats Law, passed at
the last session Of Congress aud in
which the President has taken such
pride and to which Republican leaders
pointed, throughouS tho reCgnt cssn.
paign, with such magnificent assump-
tions Of virtue. Under the old Law the
officials Of the railway which hes 20
fiagrantly violated the law could have
been sent 70 the penitentiary, the one
thing which prominent railway men
fear-for they are amply able 10 pay
their fines when they are caught,
which il seldom: The Elkins Law,
however, repealed the old Interstate
Commerce Law which provided i'm.
prisonment - penalty for lie viola
ton and more than that, il made the
repeal retroactive. 20 that although
the Santa Fe's violation antedated the
Elkins law. BY its provisions the Off.
cials are immune from imprisonment.
No one who knew Senator "Steve"
Elkins or his history or antecsdents
could imagine. ct the time, how il Was
that he was the author OF law which
seemed TO impose additional restraint
on the railways Of the country and to
make moro difficult the granting of
those rebates which have always
served 10 destroy composition and Gre
ate trusts. Now Mr.. Elkin's purpose
becomes apparent and Democrats in
Congress assert with much show Of
reason that the same experience will
be had With every Law passed BY the
Republican majority aud which, on it
face, seems to carry out reforms.
The opinion is general in Congress
that the Panama Canal Commission
has proven failure. General Davis,
10 member of the Commission, made
20 much trouble q Governor OF the
Canal Zone that il became necessary
10 send . Minister to Panama to ct.
tempt TO straiehtsn ont the Difficult.
ties, and even be vas powerlesa against
the autocratic and didactic methods OF
the military governor who ruled the
zone - . military camp. Finally it
became necessary to send the Secre-
tary Of War all the way 10 Panama to
settle the differences which had re.
suited. Now it seems probably that
the Panama Commission will be re.
ds,n>A - srnunhasnhsH 80 Ah,aa 49,: