The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-01
ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS.

ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS.
President Roosevelt is quoted as say
ing TO several members of congress
that he was very well satisfied with
the accomplishment of the session that
| closed al midnight on Saturday. If
the president really said anything of
the kind he must, as the saying goes,
/ have had his fingers crossed. The ses-
sion must, indeed. have been very dis
appointing to the chief executive. Thu
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. a great
majority of the people of the country
will find cause for disappointment in
/ the record of the session just ended.
| That record affords abundant justifi-
cation for the statement imputed to
Representative Littlefield, subsequently,
denied by him. that congressman are
the most eowardly people on earth
Notwithstanding the fact that the APP
preparations aggregated more than a
billion dollars, the record discloses prac-
tically no legislation that promises to
be Of benefit TO the public.
In the campaign that will shortly be
gin the Republicans viii undoubtedly
attempt TO fasten the blame for their
own inactiOn upon the Democrats. But
the public viii hardly forget that when
the house majority finally decided to
pass the Aldrich- Vreeland currency bill !
il put the measure through in about an
hour. And even senatorial courtesy |
failed to prevent its passage by the SEN
ate. The Republicans cannot, there |
fore, honestly charge the Democrats /
with blocking important legislation. |
The real truth is that the Democratie |
filibuster in the house was inaugural
ed solely for the purpose of compelling /
the majority 10 act on measures Of /
public interest.
Besides, if it were true that a minor
ity had made it impossible for the ma
jority to work, it would be a confession
of incompetency on the part of the
majority. The speaker of the house
since Reeds day has been clothed with
autocratic power No speaker has used
that power more arbitrarily than
Speaker Cannon. He has seen to il
that nothing to which he personally
objected has had decent consideration
from the house No better example of
this could be found than in the paper
trust investigation.
If the house had ever been permitted
To vote on the question a large ma
jorty would surely have been recorded
in favor of the proposition to put wood
pulp and news print paper on the free
list, BY appointing a commission ,
his own people for purely dilatory pur-
poses, and by preventing a report from
the committee on ways and means. the
speaker prevented the passage of a
resolution that would have had the ef-
feet of dissolving one Of the most per-
nicious combinations in the country.
Another failure recorded was the fail
ure TO pass the bill requiring publicity
for campaign contributions. II is true
that the house passed such a BILL but
to it was rider cutting down
the representation of the southern I
states in the house. That rider had no
more to do with the subject matter
Of the bill than a dissertation on reli-
sion would have had. It's sole pur-
pose was TO defeat the bill in the sem r
ate, and its insertion was one of the I
sneaky little political tricks so often
played by the Republican leaders.
A great furore was made over Sec
'etary Taft's declaration in favor of !
he publicity measure. but the public
Will be pardoned for doubling Mr.
raft's sincerity. If he really had de-
iired publicity for campaign contribu- r
ions he could have sent an honest bill v
through in a hurry 1t would have
)een easy enough for him TO win over
hirty or forty Republican votes to it,
md not more than that in the house h
would have been necessary.
If the Republicans are willing to go
'efore the people and ask them to en- 8,
iOrse their party on the record of the Il
iixtieth congress. the Democrats GER :
ainly Will raise no objection. The
herald homes il will he noSsfhle for fba e.