The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-04-30
WASHINGTON

Washington, d. c., April 27, 1908.
The Presidents policies have re-
ceived severe jolt in Congress, the
Senate leaders having practically
decided to do almost nothing which
the Executive has recommended.
The Steering Committee of the
Senate held formal meeting to
decide on the legislative programme
for the remainder of the session.
The first decision reached was that
adjournment should be taken on
May 10, unless something happen
ed in the House to prevent the
necessary cooperation of that body.
1t was further decided that no ac-
ton would be taken on any of the
proposed amendments to the Inter
state Commerce. or the Antitrust
acts; that only two battleships
would be authorized; that no anti
Injunction bill would be considered; /;
that no vote would be had on the
Brownsville resolutions and that
the Senate would make no conces-
sions to the House on the subject
of financial legislation. In this
connection, Senator Aldrich told
the story of two men in a boat, one
of whom wanted to 60 to sea and
the other to cast anchor. Finally,
the one said, well, I'll anchor my
end of the boat and you can go to
sea with the other and be hanged"
That, said Mr.. Aldrich was the po-
sition of the Senate. 1t would an.
chor all financial legislation to sound
business principles and the House
could go to sea with its end of the
boat if it could find way to do so.
~
Last week in the House was
marked by the most extraordinary
and outrageous ruling ever perpe-
trated by Speaker of that body.
In the face of an explicit demand
for the yeas and nays preferred by
the Democratic leader, Mr.. Will
liams, the Speaker declared the
House adjourned on a vive voce
vote. despite the constitutional pro-
vision that the minority shall al.
ways have the privilege of demand
ing the yeas and nays. Mr.. Will
liams introduced, the next day, a
resolution censuring Speaker Can
non but his cowed supporters
promptly voted it down. Mr.. Will
liams said later that in all the his
tory of the House no Speaker had
so deliberately struck at the dignity
of the body as deliberative assem-
bly, as had Mr.. Cannon who by this
piece of tyranny fairly outdid any.
thing attempted by Speaker Reed
1T the time when he won the sobri-
quet of Gear" of the House.
*.*
The Republicans in the Senate
have struck a snag in their Browns
vile plans. The Steering Commit
tee, as said, above decided not to
permit the matter 10 come to vote,
but the rank and file of the Repub-
ican Senators have organized a
revolt. Senator Borah in a powerful
speech denounced the effort to play
politics with the Brownsville out
rage as pusillanimous to the last
degree, but that is form of pusil-
lanimity which the Republicans
seem unable to escape. Of course
the great flaw in tiieir system is the
fact that they have long catered to
the negro vote and counted on i. to
carry certain districts which were
normally Democratic. Now the
negroes are demanding that they
whitewash and restore to the army
the soldiers who shot up the town
OF Brown sville and many Republi-
cans are afraid to say them nay.
They have Senator Foraker 10
thank for this situation but, as Mr..
Cleveland put it, lit is condition
and not theory" which confronts
them. 1t is still difficult to foresee
the outcome. If they restore the
negroes to the army they will be
condemned by all honest white men,
and If they do not they will lose
thousands of negro votes, and they
can see no way out, while Mr.. For
aker, in his almost insane desire to
h]ure Secretary Taft keeps foment-
ing the negro question.
m4m
The President is thoroughly out
OF patience with Congress. He
and his Postmaster General are