The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1908-06-18

achievement Of the recent session is
which we speak more at length on
another page 1t was, however, in
way, just as truly an achievement
to withstand against enormous pres
sure the proposal to increase special
privilege by a ship subsidy bill for
the benefit of shipping interests, and
a wood pulp bill for the benefit of
newspapers 1t required some cour-
age on the part of some Senators to
ward off the attempt to force Con-
gress into meddling with the duties
Of the COMMANDMENTS of the
Army by means of the Brownsville
affair and the Stewart case. Con-
gress deserves credit for much posi-
tive egislation--for the Employers
and for the Government Bills, which
make the railways and Government
respectively, responsible for injury
to their employees; for several
measures securing a greater degree
Of safety to railway and steamboat
travellers and employees; for the law
regulating child labor in the District
of Columbia; for the important Alas
ka and mining bills already mention
ed; for charging somewhat the medi-
cal and nursing branches of the
army and navy; for increasing the
efficiency of both the army and the
navy (not quite as much as it was
hoped, more than some anti-militar-
lists wanted and especially for
rounding out the militia system first
devised by Mr.. Root when he was
Secretary of War; for the prohibition
of race-track betting in the District
OF Columbia; for the limitation of APP
peals on habeas corpus proceedings;
Tor repeating the unfair statute ap-
plying the American coast-wise laws
to the Philippines: for voting to re-.
turn the surplus Boxer indemnity to
China; and Ton the part of the SEN
ate) for the conformation of a num-
Der of important international agree
ments
On the other hand, Congress- can
not escape the responsibility incurr-
ed in increasing the already eXtrava-
CANT and pauperiZing pension list;
and in its failure to enact the bills
providing for making campaign con-
tributions public modifying the I'M
just and dangerous provisions of the
Sherman Law limiting the issuance
OF iniunctions, providing for the forest
reserves and for the support of the
Inland Water Commission establish
ing a non-partisan and really effec-
tive Tariff Commission, starting
postal savings bank system, and Civ
ing form to President Roosevelt's
recommendation regarding income
and inheritance taxation.
Congress has wasted an immense
amount of time in unimportant per-
sonal disputes and in partisan or fac
tional tactics; unquestionably, too.
Congress is becoming more eXtrava-
giant not only of time but also of
Nevertheless, the whole
record as we have outlined it, shows
that it has recorded in law pretty
fairly the progress which the country
as a whole has made in public opin-
ion. 1t has Jagged somewhat, but
it has by no means stood still. The |
prod that it needs is more direct re-
sponsibility to the people. There are
men of insight and of leadership in |
both the Senate and the House; but
it was only as some Representatives
and Senators began to realize that
they were about to ask again for the |
votes Of their constituents that they
did some of their most efficient work |
in lawmaking- Outlook.