The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-07-21
LITTLE REAL GOOD
CONGRESS" lid
NOT DO MUCH FOR PEOPLE.
So-Called Triumphs of Legislation. on
Investigation, Prove to Be Chiefly
in the Interests of Trusts n
Monopolies.

hhown III history as ~ROOSevelt'S con
gress. AT the session just ended 1,
has done little but sneeze when thu
president took snuff. We hear a great
deal OF the presidents legislative fri
umphs. Let us e what thew bave
been. Congress has passed the rail.
road rate bill, a bill which outrageous
ly d1scriminates in favor of the Stand.
ard Oil company, and allows the rail
roads to issue free passes to almost
everybody, and which was made prac.
tically worthless by the rejection of
the Bailey and La Toilette amend.
ments. On the whole it was a fri.
umph for the railroad and Standard
Oil monopolies and the smaller graft
ers over the people. 1t was, in fact.
to that extent, also a triumph for
Roosevelt.
1t has passed a meat inspection bill
putting the cost of the inspection to
the extent of $4,000, 900 a year on the
tax payers of the country, instead of
the criminal beef trust, and yet allow.
ing the packers to palm off it's en-
balmed beef on the public without put.
ting the date of the packing on the
can. The beef trust has been greatly
strengthened and rewarded by this
measure at the expense of small pack
ers and the public. This is Roose-
velt's third triumph, and will. no
doubt, result in augmented contribu.
tons by the trust to the campaign
fund of the G. O. P.
Congress, under the lash of Roose.
welt, passed a bill increasing the pres
ident's compensation during the term
for which he was elected $25, 900 a
year, upon the pretext of paying his
travelling expenses, though the COZ.
stitution expressly fOrbids such an in
crease. The Democrats in congress
opposed it. This was a triumph for
Roosevelt, and, like all his real tri-
umphs, a blow to American institu-
tons.
Against the advice of the best en-
gineers in the country the president
forced through congress his scheme
for a lock canal at Panama, instead of
a sea level canal. This was a triumph
OF the transcontinental railroads as
we'll as a triumph of Roosevelt. A
lock canal at Panama will not inter.
fere very much with Hartman, Hill
or Morgan. These men, at least, owe
a great debt of gratitude to Roosevelt
for his Legislative work.
The proposition to subsidize ships
built in this country by the protected
interests was one of the presidents
pet measures. 1t passed the senate
under his lash; but it lodged in the
house, where it will rest until the
next session. Roosevelt will triumph
in this case, if the people will reflect
his henchmen to congress next fall.
Congress passed the Aldrich reso-
luton, authorizing and directing the
president to purchase materials and
equipment for the construction of the
Panama canal from the tariff-protect-
ed trusts of this country, notwith-
standing lower bids for such articles
from European bidders. This was a
triumph for Roosevelt and the stand
patters.
For years the labor unions have ad-
vocated a law making common car
riers liable for injuries to their en-
ployes acting under orders. This bill
was passed, and Roosevelt gets the
credit due to the labor organizations.
He did nothing to push this bill.
The senate confirmed the appoint !
ment of Barnes, R~oosevelt's assistant
private secretary, whose brutal treat
ment of Mrs. Minor Norris an aged
and respectable woman, disguised the
people of Washington and the entire
country. This and the travelling ex-
pense steal were his greatest tri-
Congress passed the bill to declare
the true intent and meaning of the
act entitled can act in relation to
testimony before the interstate COM
merce commission" etc., so as ito ex-
tend immunity only to a natural per-
son who, as a witness on the part of
government in any proceeding
by any statue, testifies on
or in obedience to a subpoena
produces relevant evidence This
keeps the natural persons" in the big
trusts out of Jail. 1t is a
great positive triumph for Roosevelt.
Now, for his negative triumphs.
He and his party defeated the bill
to promote the safety of employees and
travellers on railroads by limiting the
hours of service of employees thereon.
He and his party defeated the Till
man bill, designed to prohibit CON
by corporations to cam
paign corruption funds. This was a
triumph over honesty and
good government.
He and his, party defeated the eight
hour bill; the child labor bill; the
prison labor bill; the bill to modify
he Philippine tariff; the bill to reduce
tariff rates which exceed 100 per
cent, and all other tariff reform meas
Tres; the La Toilette joint resolution
Rooccrvrin~