The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-11


leo and to outline the plans for con-
servation conference at The Hague
The occasion was also a farewell to
the newspaper correspondents, whom
the President has often called into that
cablnet-room since he occupied the
White House. He has always been ac-
tive in arousing public sentiment, and
he knew that the newspapers offered
him the shortest and quickest avenue
to get his ideas before the great con-
stituency that elected and reelected
him.
Locking Out for Few Friends.
Thus through q long list of final ac-
Invites the President has been hasten
ing in recent days. There have been
a few tried and trusted friends he
wished to look out for. There were
many little things he wanted done.
Now, week before he goes into pri-
vate life practically all these matters
have been attended to.
And Congress. slow, inert, pondeEous
as it is, is rounding up at the end of
its course in pretty fine fashion. True
it has left many things undone. But
that IS always the case with a Con-
gress and many wise statesman reck-
ons the success Of Congress by what
it has not done, quite as much as by
what it has done. A very few DAYS
ago and there was a great hue and
cry that the appropriation bills could
not be passed. The time remaining
was too brief. There were too many
quarrels in full progress, too much bick-
erinc, too much elimination and re-
elimination. Let the extra session as
sumo some of the work. What use to
waste energy fighting insurrectionistsl
We can attend to them in the spring.
Nevertheless and notwithstanding
the mighty congressional mill has been
grinding. The completed appropriation
bills have been coming~eut in the hop
per- The worn and jaded leaders have
been proceeding to conference rooms
and emerging with agreements and
messengers have been sent flying up
the avenue and coming back with fresh
ink upon red bordered parchment, trae-
ing characters that spelled Theodore
Roosevelt, President of the United
States'' And the hue and cry about
lack of time has been growing fainter
and fainter as each messenger returned
from his two-mile ride-up the avenue
to the White House and down the ave-
nue. to the Capitol.
''Time enoughi Time enough, but
none to spare, = the old ones say eau
tiously but gleefully. And the onlook
ers see that it IS to be the same old
story once again. A Republican Con-
gress will perform its allotted tasks
and do its duty to the government,
before it passes ont and takes its place
with other Congresses and other adj
ministrations in history.
Recalling the Mckinley Days.
On the other hand, one cannot dis
guise the fact that Senate and House
for weeks have been celebrating
great heyday as close at hand. Ever
since President-elect Taft left here, fol-
lowing his last visit, Senate and House
leaders have been shaking hands with
one another and emphasizing anew the
delightful times for them which are
Just ahead. They are barking back
to the Mckinley days, when relations
between the executive and legislative
authorities were never more amiable
and preparing to cooperate TO the ex-
tent of their ability in making things
pleasant for the new occupant of the
White House.
The congressional leaders were in es
pecial high feather because Mr.. Taft
virtually allowed them to fix the date
for an extra session. Roosevelt would
have determined upon a date and then
called the Speaker and two or three
Senators in to ascertain if that date
7 = Iod hn
probably would have fixed upon aneth'
er date. Mr.. Taft fixed upon no date
till he had consulted with The men who
make the laws and then he left it to
them to say what day would be most
convenient for all concerned.
Furthermore all concerned were
pleased at the outline of the inaugural
address. which the President eleet con-
veyed to them. No particular details
of importance in that document have
been allowed to reach the public, but
the Senators and members who have
seen portions of it say it will be con-
servative and reasonable and that 1t
will appeal to the thinking people OF
the country as wholly safe and sane.
Soon after the assembling of Con-
Dress. there were fears among members
of that body lest Mr.. Taft, entering
upon his administration, would assume
an unfriendlv attitude toward them
The campaign from Hot Springs
against the reelection of Speaker Can
non and for a revision of the House
rnles-now almost forgotten so rapidly
have ether events crowded the interest
was responsible for that apprehen-
sion. 1t has entirely disappeared. Quite
a time ago it became apparent that
Sneaker Cannon would be reeleeted at
the beginning of the extra session,
:1t no,,ac;+;on and also that the