The Grenada sentinel., 1906-07-07
MINORITY LEADER
JOHN S. WILLIAMS
Gives Out a Few Facts About the
Recent Session of Congress
What Was Accom-
pIished, Etc.

ing for his home in YazOo City tonigh,
Representative John Sharpe Williams
Democratic floor leader, gave the
Commercial Appeal correspondent the
following interesting statement con
cefnng the work of the Fifty-ninth
congress-:
The only notable things congress
did was to adopt the Democratic poll.
cy Of railroad rate regulation and the
Democratic policy of admitting Okla
homa into the union, and to refuse to
tie in indissoluble wedlOck Arizona
and New Mexico. The Democrats re-
gret that congress did not do some
measure Of justice to the FilipinoS by
passing the PHILIPPINE tariff
This congress will be almost as
much celebrated for what it failed to
do as for what it did. What it did
was distinctly of Democratic initia-
tive origin and character. One Of the
things congress failed to enact which
will need much explanation was some
measure to check the collection of
vast and corrupting campaign funds.
Nothing radical or extreme was de-
manded, yet congress refused to keep
the national banks from contributing
to campaign funds; it refused to pro-
hibit corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce from contributing the
money of the stock holders to cam
paign purposes; it refused to provide
for publicity OF contributions. Even
that could not get through congress.
The Republican members feel that
without fund they could not get
through campaign, and realize that
the sources Of contributions must be
kept secret.
After he president thundered in
the index about insurance frauds and
wanted congress to do extreme and
unconstitutional things, this failure
to do very reasonable and constitu-
tional thing will be hard to explain.
Congress failed to lOp off a single
abuse or excreSence Of the tariff Sys-
tenn. 1t wonld not agree that sin
gle duty should be over 100 per cent.
Of the entire value of the thing taxed
They would not even untax diphthe
ria serum nor heed the cry concerning
it Of the little children all over the
land. They refused to reduce the
duty on iron and steel, although proof
was made, and finally admission was
had, that our steel manufacturers are
selling their products
cheaper abroad than at home, even
steel for building ships, thereby build
ing up foreign merchant marine at
the expense Of an American merchant
marine.
with pigheadedness that is re-
Oklahoma was useleSsly
kept out of the union for nearly six
while the children Of Indian
Territory were growing up in ignor-
ince without schools.
The congress is to be cOngratula-
ted upon the fact that it did not fol-
Ow the lead of the president in the
pew Roosevelt doctrine, that he seems
bent upon substituting for the Mon
roe doctrine. This was shown in the
refusal of the senate to ratify the |
Dominican treaty. This refusal threw
;Old water upon most of the presi-
lent's big stick policies, and the SEN
tie was able to make this refusal eff |
'ective by Democratic votes.
Congress passed very good natu.
'alization bill after several good |
offered by the Democrats
lad been adopted. 1t refused to pass
my immigration bill, and il is rumor-
ID that the refusal was due to the |
,etulancy Of Senator Lodge, who |
Ound the times out of joint because |
he house had amended the bill offered |
~ his Son-in-law. The bill as amend. |
ID contained many excellent features
md should have passed."