Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-03
Republicans Members of Con
gless Disturbed, While Demo-
Gratis Profess Elati0n
FEAR EFFECT ON THE PARTY
Presidents Friends, However, Declare
He Knew What He Was Talking
About-WaI Street Agitated by the
Drubbine 1t Received - Congress
May Wake Up.

Washington, Feb. 3.-The country is
400 close to the presidents remarkaoie
message accurately to measure its real
Importance, either politically or legis-
latively, or it's effect upon public SEN
timent generally. One thing, however,
As certain: Ii has made a sensation IN
congress such as that body has not
experienced for many years, ana
brought it's members rudely ana
abruptlv face to face with a situation
of the utmost significance.
1t is noteworthy that the democrats
in both bodies are elated over the
presidents words and that the repub-
lcans, in many cases, are so angry
that they seem unable to talk about 1t
sanely.
Every intelligent man here knows
that it has been the plan of this session
to adjourn late in April without enact
ing any general legislation of conse-
ouence, totally ignoring the recon-
mendations in the presidents annual
message delivered in December. The
president, learning this to be the case
prepared yesterdays message with the
deliberate purpose of arousing not only
congress, but the country as well. ana
calling attention to the legislative plan
of nonaction.
1t is too early to know whether the
country is aroused, but not too early
10 know that congress is.
1t is conceded that the message con-
tains the strongest presentation the
president has yet made in support oil
his policies Its arguments are regard
ed here as being clear, it's general tone
high and its recommendations In the
main wise. all set forth in language
more temperate and. therefore. conced-
ed to be more convincing than the
: president at times has used. But from
xhis point on there is the widest pos
sible divergence of congressional OPP
fnion regarding it.
Leaders Gear for Party
The republican house and senate
leaders men who have evolved the do
nothing policy of the present session,
are now holding up their hands ana
claiming that the president did not
have them or the republican party as
q whole in mind when he wrote the
message. but has deliberately played
directly into the hands of democrats
at the commencement of a presidential
campaign. Much Of the legislation
which the president demands say these
men, is important and should be
enacted; but they insist that, from
parliamentary point of view, it is alb
solutely impossible to accomplish 1T
during the present session. And even
If accomplished, they say that much of
it would not work out the way the
president in the message says it would.
A prominent senator, a supporter OF
Taft. informed the Journal correspond
en- that, in his opinion. the message
would do incalculable injury to Taft
assuming his nomination at Chicago,
and in the same degree improve Bry-
ans chances o., election.
"How?" the correspondent asked.
sit will be impossible at this session
of congress to enact the laws that the
president recommends, was the an
swer, "and So when it comes time to
adjourn, nothing important having
been done, the democrats will charge
refused to follow the lead of a wise
and patriotic republican president.
Bryan will take the stump as the dem
Ocratic nominee, eXtol Roosevelt and
say that he is the only genuine heir
of the Roosevelt policies. And he will
read that message of yesterday in
every state in the union. and say that
the failure of congress to respond to 1T
is proof of the truth of his statements.
The fact that the message, in large
part, is an appeal for legislation in
behalf of the laboring classes makes
the difficulty all the more serious from
q political point of view"
What Stirred the President.
The other side of: the case is pre-
scented In the following statement
made today by one of the presidents
personal friends. and in his confidence
on public matters:
"The president is terribly in earnest.
He intends that congress shall not. If
he can prevent it waste its time dur
ing the present session in doing moth
ing. Such an attitude he believes is
unpatriotic and plays directly into the
hands of the interests which he is at
lacking in his message. The f1ippant
way in which certain influential men
in both houses have said that they
were going to ignore all his recon-
1nendations, insinuating that the rec
concentrations We're unimportant and
scarcely worth even slight attention.
has fired the president. AS for myself,
it is difficult for me to believe that
this tendency to do nothing grows en-
tirely out of the dislike which certain
OF the leaders of the two houses have
for the president. I make no charges,
and do not quote the president, but it
does look as If the attitude which
congress has assumed could not be
more agreeable to the interests if it
had been deliberately planned to
please them. The talk of the possible
effect of the message on the campaign
is unwarranted, but even if it is to
have the full effect that some of the
reactionaries profess to think it may
have. hardly think the president, al
tho I still am not quoting him, would
be deferred from doing a duty of the
high character of this one by any con-
siderations or partizan politics"
Congress May Wake Up.
1t is the Judgment of the man just
quoted that the president having put
this matter of important legislation up
to congress, that body, no matter how
unwilling, will be compelled to con-
slider 1t, and try to do something.
There may be a lot of swearing and