The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-19
PERIL IN ELECTION
OF DEM. CONGRESS
Progress Would Be Checked if
Minority Got the Upper
Hand. ~.
BY w. w. Jermane,

~ W. w. oCl
Washington, Sept 19.-William J.
Bryan, in recent address, said that the
best way to stand by the president was
senate, for democrats have stood by him
better than republicans, on all impor-
tant issues. -
Secretary Taft, in his address at
Bath, Me-, Sept. 5, perhaps the greatest
address that will be made during the
present campaign, on either side, said
that democratic house of representa-
tives would not further the Roosevelt
policies. On the contrary, such house
would hamper those policies. The best
way to stand by the president, he argued,
was to return a republican house.
Mr.. Bryan's statement was a mere
proof; MI. Taft s was full Of reasoning
and careful analysis. There WASH It
man in the great crowd which heard
him but assented to the conclusion
reached.
If Mr.. Bryan were president, instead
of Roosevelt, and Roosevelt were to
make a statement such as Mr.. Bryan
recently made at Lincoln, the whole
democratic party, Mr.. Bryan leading it..
would rise up and say that it was not
-true-as indeed it would not be.
, The strongest argument in favor Of
republican victory at the oncoming
congressional elections has been made
by President Roosevelt himself, in his
famous letter to Representative Watson
of Indiana, under date of Aug. IS. That
letter was, of course, message to the
country at large, and was so received.
1t was written avowedly in behalf Of
republican candidates for congress
everywhere, and while the arguments in
favor of mere party success are discern
ible in it, the letter, considered broadly.
defends this position on the high ground
. Of considera ton for. the welfare Of the
country as whole. - =
" Radicalism, the Peril. ~ -
The president, obviously, recognizes
the help which he received from demo
ccrats during the last. session of con-
gress. He knows that the representa-
tives. of that party supported his ma or
republican side there was a tendency
at times ill concealed. to withhold sup
port. At the same time, however,, the
president realizes that none of the
great bills of the last session could have
become laws without the loyal support
of great majority of the republican
members Of the two houses, and so he
says that the republican party, the ma
jority party in congress, is properly en-
titled to the major part Of the credit
for what was done, Of course, there
were republicans in both houses who
would have been glad to defeat the
president s bills, but there were at the
same time democrats in both houses
who, if given their way, would have
stood for legislation that would have
|
tionally radical, but impracticable anc
unconstitutional.
AS the president sees the present sit
uation, democratic control Of the house
in the sixtiethl congress would drive
that party, thru motives of politica
strategy, to differcntiate very sharply
its position from that of the republican
party. The result would be it's contro
by the radicals. The republicans, mean
while, more especially in the senate
would recede from the common grount
occupied by both parties during thu
last session, and fall again under thu
leadership of the conservatives, who ar,
known to be strongly antiRoosevelt
Out Of such situation there would
come a hopeless legislative deadlock.
| Might Break Program.
The president, as his Watson lette
indicates, would prevant such a condi
ing the republican party in power in tn
house Of representatives. Some of tn
laws of the last session will undoubted
ly need changes during the life of tn
sixtieth congress-, and the presiden
wants those changes made in the spiri
in which the original laws themselve
were framed. He wants republican
success for the further reason that hi
legislative program has not been com
pleted He wants the Philippine tariff
bill passed. the Santo Domingo treat,
ratified, and the bill passed limiting tn
hours Of labor of railway employees
These and various other policies which
the administration will support, and t
which attention is called in the Watson
letter, will almost certainly be enacted
into law if the republicans control tn
next house.
| 1t is the belief Of the president tina
none Of this legislation could be enact
/ ed with a democratic house of represen
tatives. He makes it plain that he be
leves the two great parties, one con
trolling each house, would begin imme
diately to maneuver with reference t
1908, subordinating national to partial
issues. Z The legislative history of tn
country shows that this has invariabl
been the case with divided congress
and the president well takes the pos
tion that there is no reason for believ
ing that there is, no reason for believ
One of the strongest points of tn
Watson letter discusses: the new nav.
in the light Of democratic victory. i
November. Should the republican
continue in control Of both houses.tth
present program for an efficient nav
WILDE carried out. The United State
is tth!oroly committed to the Monro
doctrine and to the policing of til
! isthmian canal. It's attitude in thes
I respect however, would be highly al
surd if there were no naval force sui
fcient to make that attitude effective
On the eve Of a presidential election
!. q democratic house would undoubtedl
find it convenient to oppose naval e1
pansion son ths ground Of retrenchmen
and reform.
Would Check Progress. I !:
4 Atopgof every thing else, a Democrat
i house would be sure to pass a tart
- 1910 z