The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-03
POLICY OF INACTI0N
NOT A SINGLE PUBLIC MEASURE
PASSED BY CONGRESS.
With Big Majoriies in Both Houses
Republicans Neglect Legislation
Hostile to President.
Py WILLIS J. ABBOT.

Ine death oil senator w NllIlsllu .'1uieS
Bryan of Florida marks what Is per-
haps the most extraordinary series OF
deaths In one United States senate
known to recent years. Senators Nor
gan and pettus Of Alabama died With
In two months of each other. Senator
Proctor of Vermont and Senator Mall
lory of Florida died very shortly there
after Senator William Pinkney Whyte
of Maryland died only 4 few days ago.
Now comes news Of the death of Sen
ator Bryan. who came as the appointed
successor to Senator Mallory and who
had barely taken his seat i'll the senate
before the attack of typhoid fever
which brought him to his end whs in
Cured isileath is peculiarly pi'lLui
because Of his youth. He was the
Youngest senator Of the United States.
not "et thirty-two years Of age. In his
home state he had impressed himself
upon the people as Il man OF torce ana
ability. At the capitol he had not had
any opportunity to make his mark. 1t
was only on the 9th of January that he
took his scat, and it was three weeks
ago that he was sent to the hospital
where he died. That Florida should be
thus in one session of congress twice
deprived of it's representation in the
senate seems cruel stroke OF fate. II
is hardly likely that the governor Will
make an appointment to I'LL the seat
in season to make the successor useful
to the Democratic minority in the SEN
ate. However, as the Republican sue
Of the senate possesses now Il TWO
thirds majority it is just as well that
it should be permitted TO accept com
plete responsibility for all Legislation
to be enacted this year.
The Date of Adjournment.
The Indications are now that coll
sress will adjourn about the 2oth OF
May. The statesmen, and particularly
those IN the house Of representatives.
have matters of political and personal
interest to attend to in their own dis
tricts. But so far the matters of pub
lie and national interest which they are
suDnosed to attend to at the capital
have not been done. One-half Of the
first session Of the SiXtieth congress IS
over, and not one single measure Oh
public nature has been passed by the
two houses and sent to the president
for his approval. This is not because
of any factious opposition on the part
Of the minority party There has been
no filibustcring nor even any attemn'
at it. The senate has its two-thli,.,
Republican majority, the house MA
iority propurtiouatcly us great, but
absolutely nothing so far has been
done. It's true that this congress
Is hostile to the president. The distln-
guished Republicans there gathered are
inclined to believe that lie has too
much of an inclination to dictate what
the legislative branch Of the govern
ment should do. Perhaps to that eX-
tent they are right, but it may 1T least
be said that president has the right
TO ask that congress shall do some
thing This congress has done nothing
so far. Not even the committees have
to the present time reported the really
necessary measures. In the house OF
representatives there are 300 men, each
of whom draws in salary and allow
ances practically $4,000 year. The
salary and the allowances go OH
twelve months out Of the year, but the
average work does not amount to four
months annually. A foolish system
prescribed by law. which can be
changed only by law, divides congress
into short and long sessions. The short
session IS too short for any legislation;
the long session always precedes either
congressional or Il presidential elcc-
tion and the politicians therefore avoid
doing anything which might affect the
result. That has been particularly true
in the last eighteen months, when the
last session of the Fifty-iIinth congress
went out in impotence, and the hrSt
session Of the SiNtieth congress IS half
ended without any legislation for pub
lie purposes having been enacted.
The Anonymous Political Bureau.
One of the interesting features of
politics In Washington during Il presi-
Dental campaign is the anonymous
news bureau. Both the Republican
and the Democratic parties suffer from
these concerns. l had an illustration
of one the other day, when In sealed
envelope, bearing no return address,
I received two pages Of typewriter
matter attacking the claims OF Sec"e-
tarv Taft's manager. Mr.. Frank Hitch
cock. The writer of this matters did
not sign his name. No newspaper man
with any sense Of responsibility would
care to accept statements coming thus
anonymously. For whom the writer
may be arguing or working does not
appear. but it is perfectly apparent that
he Is employed by somebody antaSo'
nistic to Taft. he asserts that the
plan of the an,i-Taft forces IS to hight
for delegations from now on, having
allowed Taft TO hold his conventions
in states which were likely to he for
him in any event. lie also predicts
that Delaware, Massachusetts, Ten
uessee and Nevada will within thirty
days elect anti-Tuft delegations and
that IN the end the anti-Tnft forces
will hn within 1iO yOtps of controlling