Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-05-01
SPARKLING NOTES
FROM WASHINGTON.

C.. April 20
The present Congress will go down in
history as standpat, do-nothing body
at war with the chief Executive. The
Republican leaders have plainly told
President Roosevelt, through their
envoy, Congressman Watson, Just what
Legislation will be put through before
the session ends
Some kind of currency legislation.
Prohibiting child labor in the District
of Columbia.
Authorizing the Ways and Means
Committee of the House, and the Finance
Committee of the Senate, to give hear
ings preliminary to a revision of the
tariff
appropriation for the Inland Water
ways Commission.
This ultimatum leaves over all the
principal reform and remedial legisla-
ton recommended by the President
until after election. if ever. The Re-
publican leaders intended to adjourn
Congress on May 8. but in Difference to
the Presidents wishes will continue in
session until after the conference here
of the governors and others invited by
the President to consider our natural
resources. From now on the leaders
of Congress will work rapidly. paying
heed to the appropriation bills first and
their own pet local measures afterwards.
Whether President Roosevelt will
submit to the ultimatum of the Repub-
lican leaders is not certain. 1t is re-
ported by some of his friends that he
will try to upset their plans by inducing
enough Congressman to act with the
Democrats, who are fighting for the
consideration of the legislation he has
recommended. Whether the President
can induce the necessary Twenty-Five
Republican members to join with the
Democrats, and overthrow gag rule, is
very problematical, and not probable.
The Cannon machine holds them in its
grasp, and their local legislation and
campaign funds for the election of those
in close districts is under the control of
the machine; and but few will dare to
defy it.
The President sent in on Tuesday
another message to Congress, urging
action on matters previously recon-
mended by him and hammering class
agitators and multi-millionares in his
usual red-hot style. But both houses of
Congress seemed apparently tired of
special messages. this one being about
the fiftieth sent in so far, and it was
received not even coldly, it was abso-
lutely ignored. The message was
brought in by the private secretary of
Mr.. Roosevelt, who was kept waiting
for half-an-hour, while miscellaneous
business matters were being discussed.
Then, when the reading had begun Sen
ator Foraker gave the Administration
the toughest slap he had hitherto given
1.-THE moved to adjourn before ten
lines had been read; the Senate did SO,
leaving the message unread and its
recommendations unknown. Ii would
seem that even Congress is tired of
being continually harrassed by the
reiteration of my policies"
Senator Foraker, of Ohio, has been
talking vigorously of late. In a speech
before an assembly of negro Methodist
bishops. he used language implying
that he stood ready to bolt the Republi-
can party in case Taft or Roosevelt
were nominated for the Presidency
Speaking of Taft delegates from the
South, he said: '"They do not belong
to my party, and l will not belong to
theirs" He also spoke of the posi-
bility of new parties. On the 18th
inst. Senator Foraker made a speech in
the Senate on the Brownsville affair.
In the course of which he severely crit
icised President Roosevelt and defended
the negro soldiers whom the President
drummed out of the army in disgrace
without trial. 1t was a great speech.
and its effect on the negro vote in the
States of the North and Middle West
may be to defeat the Republican national
ticket. These recent utterances of
Foraker show that the breach between
himself and the Roosevelt faction is
liable to be permanent, and that he
may be expected to lead a movement at
the polls against any man whom the
Roosevelt faction may force upon the
Republican party. In such case Fora
ker would have among his followers.
not only most of the negroes, but MANY
of the old Union soldiers and a large
class of reactionaries. In other words.
he would have with him the brains and
the backbone of the old Republican
party, and the fight between the old
and the new Republicans would be
beautiful and interesting.
For the first time in several years it
was boldly declared and successfully
maintained in the House of Represen-
tatives last week that ''the President
is not the Commander-in-Ch Chief of Con-
gress. -
The Beef Trust is still booming the
price of its products, and the Admins
tration makes no effort to curb the
Combine. President Roosevelt evidently
considers the Packers combine "a good
trust
In spite of the appeal of Nick Long
worth to stand by his father-in-law. an
unsympathetic Republican Congress de-
feats President Roosevelt's naval pro-
gram. Speaker Cannon and other Re-
publican leaders grin with delight as