The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-05-19
CONGRESS TOST0P
ITS LABORS"
THIS WEEK
Has Successfully Done Nothing
For Over Five Months
JOHNSON HAS SMALL SHOW
Bryan VIII Be Nominated This Year
But johnson 10 Getting Some Ex.
tenslve Advertising.

Editor of the Banner:--The end Of
the first session OF the sixtieth con-
gress is fast fastening and by the
time this Is read IL will be on its last
legs. Final adjournment is not posi-.
lively fixed as | write. but will prOv.
ably come somewhere between next
Wednesday morning and Saturday
night. After the dam of congested
legislation broke and gave way the
middle OF this week everything went
with a rush. Exhaustive and time
killing debate was tab0od by unani,
nous consent. and every moment was
utilized In doing real business When
nobody Is In hurry three weeks may
be spent In either house In debating
the great international issue of wis
struck Billy Patterson or something
equally as important, without reach
ing any conclusion whatever. When
the outfit really wants to accomplish
something, however, 1t can ascertain
the Identity of Williams assailant,
try and convict him and send him to
expiate his offence In the pen, all In
ten minutes. When they all begin
to realize that they want to go home.
they wipe off the slate and 20. There.
fore, they have awakened to a reali.
cation, and are about to wend their
way.
or course the country kicks long and
loud because of what congress didn't
do but 1t never will know or realize
what 1t escaped because of the same
sin of omission. Punch's excellent
advice to people thinking of marrying
was, DON'T" This is also mighty
good advice when congress Is con.
fronted with countless propositions to
enact doubtful or questionable legis-
lation. Better no new laws than
lot which are liable to cause all kinds
OF trouble. But the people cannot
inspect these matters at close range.
as congress does, and so will continue
to cuss the national assembly Es-
pecially II Roosevelt does.
IL Is pretty generally conceded in
these parts that Taft will be nominal.
ed at Chicago, with good margin to
spare. or course his nomination is
confidently expected to be made on
the first ballot. II 1t isn't, something
else may possibly take place. But il
Will be Taft or Roosevelt. This is as
certain as any future event can be.
Nevertheless, the favorite sons will
go into the convention. This with
the forlorn hope that the lightning
may possibly strike where nobody Is
looking. But II Is only forlorn hope
The only thing that any cautious OBJ
server can say Is that nothing Is alb
solutely settled until after the votes
are counted.
The alleged negro disafYection
seems to be dying out, and is not ex-
pected to be very seriously considered
at Chicago. Very little Is now heard.
either of the opposition of labor to
Taft. II looks as II there had been
some shrewd political work done In
this quarter. To Offset any possible
disaffection of this kind 1t is brought
to mind that Mrs. Taft Is q very
prominent and devout communicate
OF the Catholic church, and this is
reasonably expected to help very ma.
terially. 1t is said here that the
president is delighted" because Wall
street has been brought around to
back Taft, though he Is somewhat
dissatisfied because Taft is backing
Wall street. But Wall street isn't
giving something for nothing, and al.
ways expects quid pro quo. Thus
Taft Is working the Golden Rule. WHY
not? The political game requires
live. warm-blooded man, who has
friends and recognizes them. This
grand, gloomy and peculiar" role is
not success In a presidential cam.
paign. Vide Hughes.
AS ] write. the anti,Bryanites de.
clare that they have him beaten. At
least, they assert that II Is now i'm
possible for him to obtain two.thirds
majority of the Denver convention.
Their figures up to Friday night were;
for Bryan, ga delegates: anti. $50
delegates. IL these figures are re-
liable, and they are circumstantially
given, then II hardly seems possible
that two-thirds majority for BRYAN
can be obtained. But II must be re-.
membered that this is a year OF mar.
vellous claims, in which figures are
certainly doing a stupendous amount
OF lying. Everybody has figures to
burn. They are thrown In the face OF
everybody. and are constantly used
to the limit to prove anything and
everything. People here will continue
to believe-perhaps from force of
habit--that Bryan is going to be nomI.
mated without much difficulty. AS
Uncle cara Griswold said of the boy
whom he sent for the mail, he will
come back because he always has!"
II Is the general impression that Gov.
Johnson will, by making stiff fight.
make OF himself the logical next can.
didate after Bryan is finally defeated
and buried next fall Then the Gov.
ernor would at once become the lead
er OF his party. In any event. he
stands to better himself very mater.
tally. o.
Certainly this is destined to be
year OF big events, and there will be
something doing every minute.
]. II. Harris,