Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-14

neutrality-suspicious. twenty would be
nearer the mark. This latter number
means that outside Of the five New Eng
land states and the states Of New Jersey,
Now York Ohio and West Virginia,
there is really no opposition in the Sem
ate to Mr. Roosevelt on his policies. 1t
is doubtful If the senators who are op-
posing these policies would care to sub
nit themselves, as did the two incoming
senator's from Oregon to lair popular
vote These Oregonians. Mr.. Mulkey and
Mr.. Bourne. were put through a double
process. They were chosen as the sena-
torial candidate in district primary
and then voted upon like other party
candidates in the regular election. They
are the first product Of a system which
the Western states are hurrYing 10 copy.
Such test would further reduce the op-
position by half, for. certainly. New
York. West Virginia. and several other
States would return senators more alive
to existing conditions and more in har-
mony with the demands Of the people.
ROOsIiNELT's POWER IN SENATE.
With thirty-nve votes from States fav-
oring his policies. with n weakened and
somewhat lettering opposition in his own
| party. many Of whom would hc quite
unabl" to survive the Oregon test. and
with a good many friends on the demo
cratic side of the Senate Mr. Roosevelt
starts the last two years of his admins
tration with senate a good deal more
in sympathy with his policies than the
| British public have been given 20 un-
dcrstand. When a crisis was reached in
! the Brownsville affair. the solid South
offered the President its thirty votes
and even Mr.. Rayner, the defender of
constitutional rights. as understood to-
day. was one of these.
Republicans favoring the "Rooscyelt
policy. wethcr their personal relation
to the President. compelled the anti
Roosevelt republicans to agree on n roso'
luton. or they would have voted will
the democrats. There are many quos
tons such as additional railway legis
lation. tariff revision. income tax. laws
prohibiting child labor Inheritance tax
additional pure food regulations NOR,
drastic control of trusts. in which demo
Gratis are Interested, and in which Mr.
Roosevelt is likely TO have their supper
| should there he any disposition on the
part Of the republican Coterie to blocl
the Presidents measures 10 reform.
The above ANALYSIS of the mombershi,
Of the new Senate indicates that it vii
be even moro difficult in the coming thar
in the expiring session to thWart the re
form legislation which Mr. Roosevelt
mapped ont in his last annual meesas
and of which So little has been taken NJ
and disposed OF during the short session
of the ffty-ninth Congress, In this, a
In other directions, the Senate has dis
tinctly gained by the changes. only il
one case that of Colorado. has there beer
any scandal in connection with the cleo
ton of those now entering the Senat
for the first time The trusts and com
panies' interests have suffered distinc
loss. and should Mr.. WetmOre be de
feated (the only undecided seaD in Rhod
Island. as Mr., Dryden has been in Ney
Jersey, 1t will still further reduce tn
ranks OF the corporation coteric by two
Mr.. Briggs. who succeeds Mr.. Dryden
has already announced his agrccmen
with the Roosevelt policies except tn
Presidents action in the Brownsville af
fair.