Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-03-15
FROM WASHINGTON.

Another congress MS just pass
Oh into history, and If it has not.
Il ought to have left bad taste i'm
the mouths of the people for the
very good reason that it has done
nothing in their interest. The last
session of the Fifty-eighth Con-
gress did practically nothing ex-
cept pass the great supply bills and
go home. Ii refused absolutely to
mass ANYTHING in the nature of
remedial legislation in the interest
Of the people. though il bad ample
opportunity to do so. AS predict
ed in letters last Fall, it went fairly
back on its promise to give State
hood to the Territories of Okla
homa. Indian Territory New Mex
leo and Arizona. If the people of
those Territories can stand for
such dillydallying as that, with
their dearest rights and privileges,
then the millennium must have
been dragged in by the ears in the
Southwest long before its time. If
they do not take occasion TO resent
il at the very first opportunity
they get. then human nature has
changed a whole lot down in that
section Of the common country.
When the Democrats get control
of the Congress OF the United
States, the people of those Terrific
ries will get Statehood, and not
before. The trust interests in the
Senate, guarded by the paid attor-
neys of these trusts whom they
have placed there, will forever
stand as n bar TO Statehood long
past due TO the sturdy. honest peo-
pie of the great Southwest. When
we get Senatorial elections by
direct vote of the people we will
be able to control the Senate in the
interest of the people, but not be-
fore. That not only is my humble
opinion from years of observation
here in the national capital, but it
is the opinion of nearly every
observing man who has taken the
pains to ascertain conditions that
now exist here.
There were many interesting
things that occurred in this last
session of the Fifty-eighth Con-
greSS. Among them was the i'm
parchment of Judge Chas. Swayne,
of the Northern District of the
State of Florida, by the House of
Representatives, sitting as a Grand
Jury, and the failure of the Senate
to convict him on the testimony.
1t was purely a political trial on
the part of the Senate. Swayne
Is a Republican, and although the
testimony was sufficient TO convict
almost any man, he was turned
loose to again perpeUate outrages
on helpless people. IL was un-
derstood that if acquitted he would
resign his position, but so far there
Is no evidence that any such I'M
Outstanding was had.
Another important and interest
ing feature of the last session of
the late Congress was the opportu-
NIFTY to enact some of the most inn
portant legislation that has chal-
lenged the attention of our law
makers in the past twenty years, a
piece of legislation that would have
been far-reaching in its benefits to
the real people Of the country. the
farmer and the country and small
merchant. That was the so-called
railroad rate, and anti-rebate bill.
4 bill to regulate railroad rates,
prevent rebates to shippers and
determinations of all kinds, also
giving to the Interstate Commerce
commission the right to take this
matter in charge, hear testimony
ana make rates-in fact, the most
comprehensive and complete meas
ure of the kind ever introduced
INTO the Congress was introduced
at the last session by Hon. William
Randolph Hearst, of New York,
and thereby hangs a tale.
There are some men in this
country who allow their prejudices
against man to warp their judg-
ments concerning any of his per-
Iormances. l hope / am not one
of those.
NO matter how much / may dis
IKE a man, / will not detract from
his meritorious work, but hope l
an broad enough to separate the
wheat from the chaff.
NOW then, Mr.. Hearst had had a