Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-01
y n..nlnrlon speeIal 70 New York HeraId.


Congress is in the doldrums. The
senate has made no progress in more
tban two months. Little of the inn
,ortant work Of the session is being
5one. The Railroad Rate bill is soiden
and waterlogged-a derelict floating
on a restless sea.
The Senate IS marking time, while
speeches are being made that no one
listens to and which no one will read
alter they get into the Record. 1t
& no longer a deliberative body,
because it does not deliberate 1t
is simply sulks.
The house is fioundering. Just now
II is dodging the tariff. 1t has been
pfeparing to dodge il all session. But
now it has had The issue thrust upon
# by John Sharp Williams, demo
cratic leader, and has been compelled
10 defend the issue of standing pat. -
II has deliberately chosen to ignore
the demand for revision and to shoot
Niagara at the November Congress
sional elections, trusting to the battle
cry that the country is prosperous.
The trouble seems to be that the
party has a leader who has signally
failed in leading. The President has
not succeeded in impressing his views
on the Senate. The House has caught
the infection and Generalization has
followed. In the opinion of many po-
litical observers in each party the time
is sweeping near for a political revolu-
tion. The situation in many respects
is similar to that which has preceded
upheavals in this country when the
administration Of affairs has been
handed over from one party to the
other.
What happened in the last days Of
the Arthur administration seems likely
to happen this year. Then the Re
publican party was split in a fight
between the White House and Con-
gress. The Republican organization
was successfully pilloried as the pro-
tector Of monopolists and the money
power.
So also is there a parallel with the
closing days of the first administration
Of Mr.. Cleveland. He became in
volved in a contest with the Senate
and the administration went down in
defeat, while Harrison was elected
PresideL ID Congress became Repub-
lican. Inc famous contest between
Harrison and the Senate sealed the
doom Of the Republicans for four years
and gave Cleveland a second term.
Mr.. Cleveland in turn was unable to
impress his views on the Senate. There
was a long drawn out contest over the
Wilson bill and over financial legisla-
tion. There were scandals in connec-
tion with Sugar Trust contributions
TO the Democratic campaign fund, just
as there are now over insurance con
tributions to the Republican campaign
fund. Conservative Democrats were
oyerthrown in Chicago and the Repub-
licans came in for twelve years.
If what everybody is saying in Wash
ington is true, history is to repeat
itself in the fall elections. The only
possibility, Republicans in the House
say, for the party to re-elect a safe
majority Of the House would be for
the President to swing around the
circle and defend the very men he has
been fighting with, as in his "muck
rake' speech.
But these men say they have no
means Of knowing whether Mr.. Roose-
yelt has kept his popularity. Much
mat has been subjected to criticism
has been done by the administration.
Indeed, il is said the capacity Of
laundering shown by the administra-
lion has become a by word in Con-
gress. It has been almost constantly
on the defensive. 1t has been unable
to touch thing without having fault
tnding
The proposal to establish tax
against large fortunes, instead Of win
nlng plaudits, has caused deep resent
ment among the very men who swelled
the Roosevelt campaign in 1904. Even
The management of affairs in San
Francisco has found much criticism
on part of leading citizens there. The
latest fault is found with the fact that
tne administration has spent for sup
plies all except $500, COO of the 81, o.
0OO, 600 voted by Congress, and now
cash Is needed and more is forthcom-
ing
1t is believed here the refusal of
republicans to act on the tariff and
the manner in which Democrats have