Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-05-13
FROM WASHINGTON.

pnSSlDlN ever VVt0'h'" ~" WIS N'"h
49,, in tho history OF the Congress.
Here are the Democrats filibuster-
;ro every day To- compel the Re
rnblicans to do something that the
Democrats say is necessary legisla-
,;on and demanded bv the people,
and vet. ii the Democrats succeed
IN making the Republicans do the
,bings they say they want done.
rho inyjtable result will be 10 help
the Republicans before the country.
Atthe same time the Republicans
are in a bad hole with the sides
eoaned and no ladder in sight.
They demorizcd by the demands
ofa number of thousand Republi-
can newspapers that they forthwith
nlace wood pulp and print paper
q, the free list in order 10 rescue
them from the rapacity of the paper
,rust. There is no doubt that the
Republican leaders would comply
with the demands in short order if
they thought the things would stop
rhere. but there's the rub. 1t
would not stop there. 1t would
lust begin. Passing the Stevens
bin to place wood pulp and print
paper on the free list would be
special legislation in behalf of a
class.
The American people are intelli-
gent enough to see and note that
and some inquiSitive farmer might
be guilty of an impertinence like
this:-"iow about my plows and
hoes. gear and trace chainsl You
put paper ON the free list for the
publishers. why not farm machin-
cry for met
And thus. the Republican MAJOR
ity in the House is in this intoler-
able fix:
I'VE can and we can't;
We will and we won't:
Wen be damned if we do.
And wen be damned If we don't"
The Democrats insist on pulling
the Republicans cheSnuts out of the
FIRE. and the Republicans fling them
aside and curse their ill-mannered
and impertinent ofiiciousneSs. 1t
is very funny situation, but the
Democrats are not without some
method in the madness of their fill
buster. They know that if they
can force the Republicans To put
wood pulp and print paper on the
free list that it will open up the
entire tariff question and that the
Republicans never will get away
here during the entire summer,
and that 4 revision of the tariff dur
ing presidential campaign would
rip the Republican party up the
hack as wide as barn door, would
make the next President Demo-
cratic and also the next House OF
representatives.
That is what is soaring the Re
publicans to death and making
Democratic smiles here Mt the pres
ent time. My opinion is that there
Will be 10 free print paper and no
free wood pelp at this session.
The Republican leaders rely on the
esprit de corps of the party papers
to hold them in line and keep them
from bolting and they are not with
outSOme justification in their belief.
What pity that Democrats do not
stand together in election years like
their opponents. We should take
Il few lessons from our opponents
and fight the devil with fire.
OF course, the thing uppermost
here now is the coming presidential
nominations, and there is little talk
OF anything else. Everybody has
lost sight of legislation and is talk
ing politics.
From the Republican standpoint
1t looks like Taft, but there are
riffs in his lutte that the Taft people
90 not like to contemplate. One
OF them is the growing popularity
OF Senator Knox, of Pennsylvania.
30 far as the Democrats are con-
cerned, they also are sorry to see
IL. The Democratic leaders have
admitted to me that they would
much rather see Taft nominated
than Senator Knox. They believe
ne is much stronger man than
laft. In the first place they say
ne has his State with him solidly,
'nat he stands well with the labor
people, while Taft does not, anc
Jlat he will MT have tLo o,cso.o,