The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-01
THE RECORD OF CONGRESS.

THE RECORD OF CONGRESS.
Two facts stand out distinctly in the
session of congress which closed yes
terday One is the noteworthy advance
OF the senate in public esteem despite
she constant campaign of defamation
enaugurated by one class of publiea-
tions: the other is the adoption by
Republican president of the Democratic
platform almost in its entirety.
Those who have watched the record
of the two houses of congress at this
session agree that the rate bill, the
meat inspection bill, and the pure food
bill, the distinctive legislation of the
session, were made possible only by
the senate. In its original form. as
adopted by the house and approved by
the president the rate bill was uncon-
etitutional. inadequate and unsatisfac-
tory to the friends OF genuine reform
in rate matters. When it went to the
senate it was whipped into shape, CIV
en- a constitutional form and amended
10 meet the situation adequately. When
1t went to conference, the house fought
the senate amendments for a while but
finally acquiesced in the senate bill al
most without change. Whatever of real
value the law has as 1t stands is at
tributable to the senate.
The meat inspection bill was passed
by the senate without amendment and
hut xr-ha m
the house Speaker Cannon, Chairman
Wadsworth and the Illinois delegation
fought it, decried its merits and find
ing that some law must be passed to
appease public sentiment changed the
senate measure as far as they dared.
Even then. the senate secured modifi-
cation conference which ought to make
1t an effective piece of legislation.
Although the pure food measure was
passed In the senate with comparative
ly little opposition. it was buried in the
house committee with the evident in
tention of strangling it, a process
which must have met with Speaker
Cannon's approval since it was within
his power at any time to call for a re-
port and get action by a rule from
the rules committee. Not until the out
cry on the Beef trust report stirred
the public, did the house or its speaker
show any sign of interest in the pure
food measure although the public de-
manded it, honest manufacturers of
food products wanted 1t and the pro-
lection of public health cried aloud for
IT. Whether it was finally adopted i'm
effective form is yet TO be seen as the
press reports are not clear as to the
changes made in ii at the last moment.
The great feature is the adoption of
d pure food measure which will pave
the way for further legislation on the
subject If 1t is found necessary.
If no other bills had been considered,
the senate's record on these would de-
serve appreciation from the people.
None of them was in any sense a par
tisan bill; all were adopted on their
merits and the most important, the rate
bill. was furthered by the interests
which might naturally have been ex-
pected TO oppose it, giving ample proof
that the public welfare and public
opinion were the first considerations
throughout the debate and the final en-
actment of the law. The record stands
as ample refutation of the oft-repeated
charge that the senate is Indifferent TO
the wishes OF the people when legisla-
ton affecting capital is under discus
sion. Likewise with The meat inspec-
ton bill and the pure food law: the
power behind these bills was the pub
lie sentiment of the country while such
opposition as was offered came from
one Of the most powerful of the trusts
and the combined strength of the in
terests which have thrived on adul-
iteration of foods. That the senate was
alive to the public welfare and in
different TO the influence of the trust
is apparent in the laws enacted.
Looking over the programme of the
session, the presidents adoption of the
democratic platform in all essentials is
as plain as a pikestaff. To be sure he
faltered and wavered at critical times;
he preferred TO take Aldrich as his adj
wiser and friend rather than accept the
Democratic support he had solicited;
but as far as he dared he followed the
lines laid down at Kansas City and
ST. Louis and his failures We're due
only TO his own weakness and the OPP
position of his OWE party.
His attacks on the trusts. though
woefuliy lacking in final results were
Is clearly Democratic as Ii they had