The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-03-01
JACK" HARRIS WASHINGTON LETTER.

this recently enacted Japanese
legislation, he is not bound by any
law. He is specifically given the
power of making a law to fit each
and any individual case whenever
that case in his judgment shall
arise. This gives him carte blanc
to do as he pleases, which he
would probably do anyway and
find full warrant of law for it.
This is "the Roosevelt way"
In the first paragraph of this
letter certain ways and means
are alluded to which | will fur
Their exemplify. 1t very often
happens that the senate will be-
come involved in the discussion
of some phase of a question be-
fore it, and go off on tangent
with the result that legislation is
blocked and only clouds of hot
air are left streaming wildly in
every direction. When this sort
Of thing has gone far enough,
what is locally known among the
employees as "the board of STRAIT
egy" gets busy. This "bOard' con-
sists of certain five or six re-
publican leaders. Hardly any of
the lot ever make a speech ON the
floor of the senate. Only, OcCa-
sionally, a few brief and pointed
remarks at a critical time. These
men are the leaders and "bOard of
contrOP of the senate, the men
behind the scenes who plan and
execute while others talk and re-
gale the old ladies in the galleries.
When we observe these men get |
together in the leaders, committee
room, then we understand that |
there is "a hen on" Something is
doing and something is about to
be seen in the way Of results. At
ter the leaders confer they quietly |
drift out, looking as innocent and |
guileless as an apple, but soon
two or three who are detailed for
the duty approach one senator af-
ter another in his seat and after
a brief mouth-tOear talk, soon the |
rumor comes floating on the air
that a compromise" has been |
reached, and, sure enough, the
bottom soon falls out of the OppO-
sitiOn and oratory and by the adj
dition or subtraction Of a few
words the measure is passed.
That is the way the senate is
managed" whenever such man
becomes necessary in
the opinion of the managers.
In the House, any one member
and Uncle Joe are a rousing ma
jority and can do anything at
any time. If any member has a
congressional object in life and
can prevail on Uncle Joe to en-
dorse it, he is a made man. Earth
holds no higher triumph. He
gets what he wants, and is made
solid and invincible in his dis
trict. If Uncle Joe doesn't know
him and never gets to know him,
ne is as politically dead as John
Brown. All alone and by himself
Uncle Joe is not only a sweeping
majority of the whole House, but
he" is The House. Therefore it
pays to stand in with Uncle Joe,
if a member can. If he can't he
might as well 60 home and try to
earn a living at his trade. With
Uncle Joe opposed, he has no
more influence in legislation than
Vice President Fairbanks. l
couldn't make it smaller.
Meanwhile, there is only one
more week from next Monday.
The business is quite well along
in the House, rather more back
ward in the senate, but yet plenty
of time for carrying out the legis-
lative program in fairly decent
order. This, however, necessi
tates early daily meetings and
late hours at night. All talk of
an extra session of the new ses-
sion for revision of the Tariff or
for any other purpose was of
course dissipated long ago.
Neither is an extra session of the
senate at all probable. Therefore,
no congress from the Fourth of
March to the first Monday of De
cember next. The bill prepared by
the Senate committee on finance
to relieve financial conditions
throughout the country will be
made into law, and Senator Lodge
has hopes of his bill to establish
a Philippine bank. The large APP
preparation bills are nearly all
through the House, and many
have been acted on by the Senate
and are now in conference. There
fore, regardless of some unfOre-
seen delays and loss of time from
the frequent breaking of a dam or
a reservoir of language, matters
are in fairly good shape. The
House can do business at any time
as rapidly as it pleases, and the
senate can usually find a way.
The only thing out of the routine
this week has been the final dis
cussion and settlement of the
SmOot case, and of this | can say
Il told you so" many long months
ago. In many respects Wednes-
day was the greatest day of the |