The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-06-30
Washington Day By Day.

f. W0cuauStU0 Ivy ny DAY.
Washington, D. c., June est is i'm
possible in thinking about the work of
the session now coming to a close, to
overlook the fact that President Roose-
welt has been far greater factor in
legislation than any of his predeces-
sors In forcing legislation by calling
public attention to wrongs that might
be righted by legislation.
Nothing has been done at this ses-
sion but to pass laws relating to the
trusts. The big corporations have new
er been in so much hot water as has
A.,een tapping around their foundations
cau,. ing the session now about to write
..sfihss ON its books.
Betue>e Roosevelt the big corpora
lions were represented in congress by
men whom .verybody knows not for
the purpose of promoting legislation
but for the purpoA>e of preventing it.
The big corporations + wanted to be let
alone. In the face of the puDllc senti-
,tnehI that is backing Roose, cit the ag-
'ehts of the corporations have .peen pow
erless.
Roosevelt pushed through the rate
bill, settled the type of the canal, re-
made the meat inspection laws, upset
the immunity bath provided by Judge
Humphreys, and got an allowance of
$4,000 year for his travelling expen-
ses, all against the wishes of the ag-
ents of the big corporations, who, in
ante-Roosevelt days, would have pre-
vented the passage Of any Of them.
The Philippine tariff bill is the one
and complet failure. There had to be
a compromise on all the others except
the canal and travelling allowance
bills. Whether the President surren-
dered vital points in them is matter
of opinion in which the weight is on
the side of the proposition that he did
give up several vital points.
His success in a general way though
makes it certain that If his successors
follow in his footsteps their annual
messages will be documents Of prime
Importance instead of reading matter
that could be considered at leisure.
1t is generally believed that he was a
wise man in forcing an issue in all the
things he had in mind during the first
6cSSlOu VI COuSEeSS, leaving uOLillu6
for the session which begins next De-
cember but the passage of appropria-
ton bills.
The wisdom consists in forcing the
issue just before instead of after an
election. After November the law
makers will not care a centennial.
They will follow their own inclination.
Those who failed of reelection will not
care whether they please the president
and those who won will see no profit
in following his lead.
Old-timers, while the antitrust talk
was sweeping through congress, tried
hard to remember the scenes during
the passage of the first antitrust BILL
away back in 1890, when the Sherman
mesure became law. Memory failed
to show anything. No one can remem-
Der that it excited the smallest bit of
attention. Its passage was as noiseless
as the commission of the crime of 49,"
Nobody knew at the time of the pass
age of the act, which by the way, was
the product OF the same author, that
silver was being demonetized. Nobody
knew when the Sherman bill was pass
ed in 1890 that foundation was being
laid for prosecutions sixteen years la
ter that would make President Roose-
Velt the popular idol.
1t is certainly a queer quip of fate
that the Ohio statesman should have
attached to his name the two statutes
passed since the Civil War that have
GREETED that greatest of popular stirs.
The Sherman antitrust law is as
broad as the world, and at times pas
ses the wisdom of passing laws that
by the bredth OF their terms can be
made to apply to almost any situation
is being shown. Senator Knox thought
that was what was needed for a rate
bill. The other senator's did not agree
with him, notwithstanding the success
that has followed the genuine Sherman
act.
Speaker Cannon delivered a mild
lecture to the members of the house
Monday by stating that in these clos
ing days of the present session more
business of vital Importance to the ma
ton would be transacted than in the
three months previous and it is absolu.
tely necessary that close attention to
the business in hand be given, which
could not be done unless order be OBJ
served. By unanimous consent il was
decided that the house should sit at
from until II o'clock to consid-
er in committee of the whole the bill
to simplify the law in relation to the
collection of revenues. Mr.. Payne of
New York stated that there were a
number of members who believed that
they had messages to deliver to the
country and it had been decided to
permit political speeches to be made
on the bill