Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-03
The American Congress
.XT-RooseveHt and Congress
Bv Frederic j. Haskin

ulne deliteration on the measure, ana
| IL then went to the senate for the
Seventy Days War.
The senate committee on Interstate
commerce, Republican byl large ma
jority, of course. showed its contempt
for the proposed legislation and for it's
sponsor in the White House, by turn
ing the bill over to the minority. It
thus fell into the charge of Senator
| Tillman, the bitter personal and politi-
cal enemy of the president. 1t was
considered great joke at the expense
of the president, one relished even Lv
TIE senator from South Carolina. But
Mr.. Roosevelt was determined that 1t
should nor end in u joke.
1t soon developed that majority of
the senate would support the measure
framed as Roosevelt wished to have IT,
Tut that a majority of the Republican
senetors insisted en- the elimination os
certain features The fight conferred so
far as was disclosed to the public. upon
the question of "broad court review
or marrow court review" The Repub-
lican leaders-Aldrich, Allison, Spooner,
KncX and their friends-were for the
broad court review" Tillman and
Pailey supported the presidents mar
row court review"
AS the president and his Democratic
leutenants were not on speaking
ltlillS llielI intercourse was IlTOuEn ~
go-between. Former Senator w. f.
Chandler of New Hampshire was
friend of the president and a friend
of the fiery South Carolnian. The at
torney general, Mr.. Moody, now
justice of the supreme court, was soon
Oh friendly and confidential terms with
Bailey and Tillman. An amendment
expressing the views of the president
on the court review question was
drawn up by Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.
Moody and was offered in the senate
by Mr.. Bailey. For weeks the battle
ragged. Only one Republican senator
opposed the bill-Alr. Foraker The
others in opposition to the president
were seeking to amend ii to suit their
notions of what was best, wisest and
most conservative.
Not in q quarter Of a century has
the senate witnessed a greater battle
of oratory than that in which Mr..
Bailey defended his Rooseveltian
amendment against the attacks of
Senators Spooner and Knox. At the
end of Mr.. Bailey's masterful presen-
tation of the constitutional aspects of
the case Senator Hale of Maine arose
and announced that he had been con-
verted to Mr.. Bailey's views. Such
scenes are rare in the senate, and that
day was a day OF triumph for Bailey
and Roosevelt and all the supporters
Oh tHe pTeSldeHt.
Then came the chilling fear that this
battle might go on until 1t would dis
rupt the party. Senator Allison, wise
and old, came to the front with
compromise amendment upon which
all the Republicans might agree. There
was a conference at the White House
and Mr. Roosevelt consented TO the
Allison court review amendment. IL
ended the fight Roosevelt gained
great victory In passing any kind of
rate bill at all, and there is doubt as
to whether the feature of the court re-
view was as important as 1t then
seemed. The conservative senators
moreover were solaced with the
thought that they had compelled the
president to surrender.
AS for the Democrats-Tillman, Bal
ley and Chandler were sent to the
Ananias club, all but two Democrats
voted for the bill, and there wasn't
glitter of Democratic glory nor an
ounce of Democratic advantage in the
outcome. Even in the supreme anger
OF that moment Senator Tillman de-
clared in the senate that the rate bill
could not have passed at all If 1t had
not been for Theodore Roosevelt. The
president in that instance compelled
congress to pass measure which 1t
would not have passed without his in
L
both houses passed it almost unani-
mously, and that the Democrats who
gave ii support when it most needed
it extracted no partisan benefit from 1t
whatever.
1t was the remarkable feature of the
Roosevelt administration that while
congress was never enthusiastic in his
support, 1t never had the courage to
break with him. When his administra-
ton came to a close both political par
ties claimed his policies, and both en-
gagged to perpetuate them If given the
trust of office. The present congress
will have the Roosevelt policies III
keeping. In this congress there are
four factions. The Republican majority
claims to be the true Rooseveltian
party and submits the powerful claim
that Mr.. Roosevelt always acted in
conjunction with II. The insurgent
Republicans claim they are the true
Rooseveltlans by reason of their sup
mort of the Roosevelt doctrines as
preached and proclaimed from White
House and stump. The Democratic
majority claims priority in the Roose-
veltian doctrines. alleging that they
were stolen from the Bryanistlc
Democracy. The Democratic insur-
gents are altogether off the reserVa-
ton. The complete story of Roosevelt
and congress cannot be written be-
cause 1t is not nearly finished.
Tomorrow-The American Congress: