The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-26
, Do-NoTHlNe RECORD.

A DO-NoTHlNG RECORD.
Washington dispatches announce that
the leaders OF both houses Of congress
expect 10 finish business and adjourn
by Wednesday OF this week. That
means that none OF the presidents pet
measures which he has urged so vigor-
ously will be acted upon at this session,
hut will be tucked away tenderly in the
embalming department and laid 10 rest
without any last sad rites worth men
tionmg.
Assuming the accuracy of the fore
cast this congress viii be entitled 10
the championship record for negative
achievement 1t has exceeded all pre-
vious sessions for appropriations. pro-
yiding something over a billion dollars
for public business and the congress
sional pork barrel; and it has done this
in the face of warnings from the I'm
ance committees of both houses that a
deficit OF $3.50 0OO, 900 or more is sure to
result from the extravaganza of appro-
priations and the diminishing revenues
of the Jfation. In active legislation
practically nothing has been done that
should have been done, and almost
nothing that the president demanded
except the modified employers liability
bill, which was only the re-enactment
Of statute 10 meet a supreme court
decision.
such measures as the bill for re-
Stricted use of federal in1unctions. the
bill 20 relieve labor unions of prosecu-
ton under the antitrust law and to
permit agreements among common
carriers when approved by the inter-
state commerce cOmmissiOn-these and
the other important bills which it was
supposed would pass, We're all side
tracked for the scrap heap.
As for tariff revSion or anything in
that direction, no sane man expected
the Republican majority 10 do anything
that might deprive IT of its chief means
of collecting campaign contributions
from the tariff protected trusts and
other beneficiaries of tariff legislation
campaign is drawing on apace and
the Republicans Will need the biggest
barrel possible, because they have
hard fight and need the money. Even
the demand for removal of the tariff
on paper. which came from the most
influential Republican newspapers in
the country. as We'll as from Demo-
Gratis, has been inferred by the Mann
committee under directions from
Speaker Cannon. It is easy to be seen.
therefore. that the party is In position
to ask contributions" I'm large sums
from the paper trust and other trusts.
if only because this congress has done
nothing 10 modest the monopohes
Seemingly the leaders in congress be-
lieve that the friendship of the trusts is
worth a good deal more in a presiden-
tial campaign than the intangible
friendship of the common people who
might be benefited by real revision of
the tariff. Whatever the reasons which
impelled them. the majority in congress
has shown by its work supreme in
difference, not 10 say contempt. for
public opinion; and its attitude toward
its president has mad no parallel for
bitter hostility and open rebellion. not
even in Grover Cleveland's night with
his own party members in congress.
Just what the members of congress
will have To say i'm their own defense
when they come before the electors is
difficult 10 imagine. They have done
nothing absolutely nothing worth
counting They have insulted their own
president. dehed the labor element
which has supported them in former
campaigns, ridiculed the newspaper
publishers who have been their warm
est supporters, and ridden rough-shod
over the public opinion which asked for
action al this session on important pub |
I've measures. 1t takes no prophet to
foresee for them a campaign I'm which
the entire party will be on the defen- !
siye. and in which the strongest argu- |
ments against their congressional rec |
ord at this session are 10 be found ia
Republican presidents special mes /
sages
on top Of this. tie party is divided /
between the friends and enemies OF |
Roosevelt and goes into the fight with /
no leadership that can depend upon the !
unqualified support that was given |
Roosevelt four years ago. If the pres |
ent decentralization in party councils !
continues. as seeins likely, Cleveland's /