The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-12


bend the suppliant hinges of the knee
before prospective favors. Many a man
could be persuaded to vote for some of
! the controverted bills, if he knew that
his vote would help along that little
| item of a line or two in the omnibus
public building bill for his home town
or for the chief town in some portion
| of his district that has been a little
frigid toward him and his political am
/ billions. So the Speaker served his
| legislative ends in keeping the omni-
bus bill till the very last, only to get
his membership into hot water after
! all by the disposition of the President
F! to veto it if he could find good ex-
| cuse. For at the close of the long
session of Congress-not at the close of
| a Congress-the President can veto or
! sign a bill after Congress has adjourn
ed provided he keeps within the ten
! days limit prescribed by the Constitu-
ton. So Congress was very unwilling
to adjourn, in spite of oppressive hot
weather and disagreeable quarrels and
all that sort of thing, till the President
put his John Hancock to their bill for
public buildings.
AS they pack their papers away in
nice wooden boxes, made. at govern
ment expense, and buy their railroad
tickets for home-free passes are no
longer possible for congressman except
a few who are directors or bona fide
officers of railroads, and as the noise
and the controversies of the closing
days die away, everybody is asking the
all important question: HAS it been
a do nothing Congress- For that ques-
ton has to be answered on the hust-
ings. The Democrats are already say
ing that it has been an eXtravagan
wantonly extravagant Congress and
nothing more. They aver that Con-
gress has done little but throw away
the peoples money and has stoutly re-
fused to legislate as the President
wanted them to legislate.
Such assertions would be expected
from the recently militant Democracy
in the House on the eve of a stirring
presidential campaign. But the Re-
publicans have to answer the asser-
tions and unless they can prove to the
contrary, take punishment accordingly.
The Republicans themselves are none
too proud of what they have achieved,
or rather of what they have not
excuse, thin though it may be, that
they have done more than they should
have been expected to do in the ses-
sion just preceding presidential cleo
ton. They have already consulted the
records of the session of Congress in
the autumn and winter of 10000 and
are comparing notes. See say they,
Congress adjourned it's session prior
to the Roosevelt campaign April 80.
Well, we do things better than that
now. We stay right here a month
later than Congress stayed that year,
even at great disadvantage personally
because OF our business interests at
home which demand out attention"
not mentioning, of course, that the
government pays a Congressman now
adays $500 year, and perquisites the
value of which never can be accurat ely
determined. And these same salaries
and "perqs" come with powerful regu-
larity whether the Congressman work
or not.
This much will be regarded as a fair
statement: Congress has done far less
than the President wanted it to do.
That, of course, is a habit with Con-
crosses, always has been and always
will be. But measured by the stand
ards of what might be called the Roos-
evelt Congresses of the last six years.
this Congress, of only one session
thus far, has been very remiss indeed.
The President made a determined
stand for several measures, sent spe-
cial message after special message,
urging the legislation. and has virtual
" gotten but little. Such an attitude
on the part of Congress two years ago
I
that the President would have secured
none of the reform legislation that has
been a feature of his administrations
He would never have gotten the rate
bill and half a dozen other measures
that were regarded as of great admin
istratfon Importance at the time Con-
gress has been far less responsive to
the President than ever before since he
came into office The leaders have
been at odds with him more than ever
and more recalcitrant to his program.
They have taken him right up to the
point where he seemed about to get the
most of what he wanted. Two weeks
ago it looked as though the President
were going to win substantially. But
then the leaders deserted him The
currency bill, which two weeks ago
seemed certain of enactment, is a good !
example. What the President has got |
ten has been fragmentary. The Senate |
and the House have been handing him |
half a loaf. The things that they
granted him in egislation-nearly all |
measures of comparatively minor i'm |
portance-have fallen far short of what !
ne wanted.
OF course the President. as virtual /
mana ger of the campaign for the cleo !!
ton of his successor. will try to piece /
the fragments together to make
pleasing popular picture. He has lit
tie material TO build with. But after