The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1908-06-02
THE RECORD OF CONGRESS


President Roosevelt quoted as saying to several
members of congress that he vey well satisfied with
the accomplishments of the session that closed mid
night on Saturday says the Salt Lake Herald If the
president really said anything of the kind he must the
saving goes, have had his fingers crossed The session
must indeed have been very disappointing the chief
Executive The lawmakers appeared to spend about half
their time trying to find out what the president wanted
them to do and the other half failing to do it.
And regardless of politics. great majority of the
people of the country will find for disappointment
in the record of the session just ended That record affords
abundant justification for the statement imputed Repre-
sentative Lttlefeld subsequently denied by him, that
congressman the most cowardy people earth Not
Wthstandng the fact that the appropriations aggregated
than billion dollats the record discoses practically
no legislation that promises be of benefit the public
In the campaign that will shortly begin the Republ
cans will undoubtedly attempt to fasten the blame for
Their naction upon the Democrats But the public
will hardly forget that when the house majority finally
decided to pass the AdrctVreeand currency bill put
the through in about hour, And even
tora courtesy failed prevent its passage by the senate
The Republicans cannot therefore honestly charge the
Democrats with blocking important legislation The real
truth that the Democratic lbuster in the house
naugrated solely for the purpose Of compelling the major
ty to act on measutes of public interest
Besides, if it were true that minority had made 1t
impossible for the majority to work it would byaconession
of ircopetency on the part of the majority The speaker
of the house since Reeds day has been clothed with auto
cratic power No speaker has used that power arb
trary than Speaker Cannon He has that nothing
which he personally objected has had decent consera
ton from the house No better example of this could be
found than in the paper trust investigation.
If the house had been permitted to vote the
question large majority would surely have been recorded
favor of the proposition put wood pulp and print
paper the free list By appointing commission of his
people for purely datory purposes and by preventing
report from the committee and means the speaker
prevented the passage of resolution that would have had
the effect of dssolvng of the most perncious combna
tions in the country
Another falute recorded the failure pass the
bill requiring publicity for campaign contributions 1t is
that the house passed such BILL but attached to it
rider cutting down the representation of the southern
states the house That rider had do with the
subject of the bill than dissertation religion
the senate and its insertion of the sneaky little
political tricks often played by the Republican leaders
great urore made Secretary Taft declara
in favor of the publicity but the public will
pardoned for doubling Mr. Tafts sincerity If he really
lad decided publicity for campaign contributions he could
sent honest bill through hurry 1t would have
easy enough for him to thirty forty Repub
ican votes do it. and not than that the house
would have been necessary
If the Republicans willing to go before the people
md ask them endorse their party the record of the
5ixteth congress- the Democrats certainly will raise
objection The Herald hopes it will be possible for the
Democratic national committee and and local
0agn committees force joint debate with Republican
speakers on this We would like have the record
If the most expensive congress since the and at the
same time the congress that has least to show for its
oendtures thoroughly ventilated in every public hall in
he land
CT