The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-12-17

Presidents cause in the campaign for
i Congress a year and a half ago, should
now be slaughtered in a Republican
House to appease the wrath of former
| Representative Wadsworth, who for a
generation has exercised almost feudal
power in the Geneseo Valley of New
York.
CANNON SLABS ROOSEVELT.
When Speaker Cannon came to de-
liver his speech, accepting the nomi-
nation as gavel wielder for a third
term, he also gave the President a
oack-handed slap by reference to GER
tain events. He emphasized the opin-
lon that in many so-called republics
there is the show of constitutional au-
thority without the substance of either
constitution or law" and allowed that
much Of the important legislation pass
ed by the 18th Congress remained to
De tried and tested. He also declared
that supplemental legislation may be
necessary but it should be enacted in
a spirit Of justice and not as retaliation
or revenge"
ADMINISTRATION MEASURES.
The President is asking Congress to
pass some bills at the present session,
which are regarded of national i'm
portance but few if any of them are
likely TO reach the final stage of legis-
lation. There may be an effort to re-
vive the ship subsidy legislation
which was barely defeated last March
The President has proposed a new plan
for extending the authority of the
Postmaster General to grant mail con-
tracts TO American ships sailing TO
South America, Asia, the Philippines
and Australia. He points out that the
government is making a profit of 3d.
600. 900 on it's mails to foreign countries
and that this amount, if used in paying
81 mile to 13-knot ships, would be-
ample to meet the requirements of the
new law. He wants army and navy
officers paid larger salaries and he also
wants to give larger pay to enlisted
men. Congress may enact some kind
of law in that direction. He would
like to have the Sherman antitrust
law modified so that some central au-
thority here at washington could issue
licenses to great corporations engaged
in interstate commerce. The President
would like to empower the Interstate
Commerce Commission to issue federal
licenses to railroads and also have
power to make physical valuations of
GIRDING FOR BATTLE.
The House Democrats started a little |
fight among themselves at their caucus |
at which they elected John Sharp Will |
liams for another term as minority |
leader. Some disgruntled Democrats |
tried to discredit him by passing reso- |
buttons requiring him to do the very |
things that he had promised in a |
speech before the caucus to do, but the |
effort was failure. Mr.. Williams and |
his supporters promise to attempt to
emphasize the necessity for immediate |
tariff legislation and to that end they |
are talking about f1libustering tactics
to bring their attitude prominently be-
fore the country.
On the other hand the President has
declared officially that he favors re-
vision of the tariff in such a growing
as this every twelve years or
so that inequalities may be corrected,
the while the protective principle is
always recognized. But he says the
revision should be along business lines, |
any selfish political interfer-
ance and that the work can not be done
well just before a presidential election.
He proposes. in effect that the revision
shall be in 1909 and. of course, the Re-
publicans of the House will rapidly L
TALL in with that idea.
There was less of the gaudy spec
tacle in the opening of Congress this
Year than usual. The galleries in both
branches were crowded to their ca
paeity but there were no magnificent
displays of flowers. That has at last
been forbidden by the rules at both
ends of the Capitol and the transfer
nation Of the Senate and House cham
bers into flower Conservatives COM
posed of gifts from obeisant office
holders and others who have to depend
upon the Senator or member as the
ase may be for official tenure, is no
longer possible. Constituents may
send the floral tributes as heretofore.
but these tributes can not be displayed
at the Senator's or the members desk
for the delectation of the vulgar
throng.
ERNEST G. WALKER.