Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-01-13

ship with the corporations and big
private interests that are heavily con =
cerned in legislation. Thus it came
about that we saw Colossus of poll
tics like Cameron the elder ruling at
Harrisburg, at Washington, and in u
national convention; like Platt, be-
stridng the interval between Albany
and the national capital, and dictat-
ing New York's politics at both: like
German, who could boss Maryland
ana at the same time unmake the tar
if policies of his party for the sake
Of the sugar trust; like Aldrich, who
Is as supreme at Providence as he is
in the senate committee of finance
like Hanna, who departed a little from
the regular order. made a president,
and then made himself the spokesman
of that president in congress. The
list might be heightened indefinitely,
but it is unnecessary.
The senate found its prestige in
creased immensely by that action of
The house when, under Reed, it put
away its power of deliberation and
adopted rules that gave over the Gus
tody of its conscience and its policies
into the hands of a few leaders. Per-
haps 1t is necessary because of the
unwieldy proportions to which the
house has grown. Anyhow it was
done, and the senate became greater
than ever.
So the senate grew into the position
of n great clearing house of political
influence. Senators came to be la
beled with the initials of the corpora
tons they represented. They We're
Known as the bosses in their home
states. They dictated the distribution
1f patronage and if it did not please
hem they withheld confirmation. Con-
yressmen sank into insigniiicance in
he comparison.
And then came the necessary revul-
sion against this condition. The peo-
1lc Became suspicious of the senate
and the house leaders. Roosevelt be-
anne president by accident, but with
> great popular backing.
The powers of congress set about
o defeat him for the nomination in
his own right.
They failed.
President In Spite of Senate.
Roosevelt is president despite the
bitter opposition of the senates ut
most power. His policies are not
those of the senate. His recommenda-
ions are not pleasing to those side
partners of the senate, the corporate
interests.
And coincident with this shearing
Of the locks of the senatorial Samson
n the national realm, has been noted
= disposition of the people i'm the
3tates likewise TO trim the powers of
this. our Caesar. The machines, once
so responsive to suggestions from
Washington, have been overthrown
stnte by state. La Toilette, Cummins,
Deneen, Folk, Hanly, PattisOn. John
son and so on--you can almost call
the roll of governors and find it list
of men who have been nominated and
elected as protest more or less d.
rect, more or less conscious, against
domination from Washington against
the oligarchy tendency of the gov
ernment.
Is is easy enough, then, in view of
this analysis OF the political develop
ments of n series of decades to un-
derstand the attitude of the rulers of
congress towards the administration.
They see their power at the white
house gone and their prestige at home
ruined. They are not permitted any
longer to govern the nation with their
right hands and serve the states with
tbnft. laft