Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-07
doctor" Roosevelt Gives Law.
makers More Legislation Than
They Can Digest
POOR POLITICS, SOME DECLARE
President in Special Message Demand
ed More Work Than Congress Can
Accomplish in Short Session - Plan
to Turn All Problems Over to Com
mission Pending Campaign.

Washington, FEB. 1.-THE one great
political mistake of the presidents
special message, says certain of the
wise ones here, is to be found In the
fact that he has recommended to con-
gress a body of legislation which it
will be impossible to accomplish in the
compass of a single session, even were
the republican majority enthusiastic
cally in favor Of it. Legislation hero
is a slow process at best, and it is the
history Of congress that it can never
take up more than one great subject
at a time and push it thru to final
ity
The president has recommended a
dozen great questions, and it is no Sc
cret that the leaders OF the senate and
house, Notwithstanding their unfriend-
liness personally to the president,
would be glad to follow him. for polit-
ical effect, if it were possible. But 1t
isn't, and therefore, they say, in the
campaign next fall the democrats will,
after paying high compliments to
Roosevelt on the stump, refer to this
special message, so filed with legisla-
tive recommendations and point out,
item by item, how the republican par-
ty has failed to do as he reqr sted.
Herein, it is argued lies the messages
political unwisdom.
May Take Up Each Problem.
AS otfsetting thus in part, plan Is
now being considered by congressional
leaders on the republican side that will
lead to the enactment of laws carrying
out certain of the Recommendations
and referring the others to commas
sion for investigation and report.
Among the recommendations to he
considered at this time are those to
make the employers liability law ef-
fective. A bill for this purpose has
been considered by the judiciary COM
mittees Of both houses and will be re-
ported favoraby in short time, tins
decision having been reached before
the message was made public. The
same committees are considering the
bills amending the law governing in
functions by federal courts, while the
claims committees are considering
bills having for their purpose the pay
ment of adequate damages to govern
ment employees injured In the performs
ance OF their duties, and to their helrs
in case of death. 1t is believed that
these bills are to be reported faVorapiy
this session, and all earnest effort made
to pass them thru both houses.
Several weeks ago the house COM
mittee on interstate and foreign com
MERGE agreed upon March as the
time for beginning the hearings on
the seventy-six bills which have been
introduced and referred to it, seeking
to add to the volume of legislation
affecting common carriers and inter-
state business generally. These sew
bills cover a wide field or
operation, andAmay loosely be grouped
under six heads-organizat finance,
safety, facilities, determinations and
the reasonableness of rates. These
heads cover the whole Of the Interstate
question and reach into all depart
ments of traffic. In the mass they pre-
sent a question Of the highest diff
Guilty, involved, uncertain and in the
main without precedents. The solu-
ton of the problem should call for the
wisest scientific experts in the coun-
try, men who are giving their lives to
the study of evolution of modern
business In practice, however, the
president, in his message, would have
this great problem taken up for solu-
ton by men in congress, who, notWith-
standing the fact that many of them
have had years Of experience In public
life and are more or less familiar with
public affairs, possess no special quail
fications for the task in question, and
are very far from being experts.
Bills Drawn by "cranks."
The seventy-six bills, with a few ex-
ceptions, have been drawn by cranks or
special interests. Not one Of the more
important of them, it Is said, has been
drawn by man whose Judgment con-
corning the subject in question would
be accepted as final anywhere. For in
stance not one of these bills has come
from the White House. from the de-
partment of justice, from the inter-
state commerce commission, or from
any Of the several federal bureaus
charged with supervision of interstate