The National tribune., 1910-03-17
the Senate leaders say it would have q

tthe Senate leaders say it would have a
still better effect politically upon the
country if the party in the Senate could
unite upon railroad bill.
Therefore it is that the-Senate peace
makers are very busy these days While
the Cumminses and the La Follettes
and>til Bristows are laundering their
objectiors to the railroad bill as now
drawn. When these opposition Senators
have defined their opposition in detail
and the regulars have had opportunity
to reply, when there has been rejoinder
and surrejoinder, the peacemakers hope
to be ready to come forward with prop
ositions upon which all can unite.
The President is with the peacemak-
ers heart and soul in this matter. He is
loath to have the railroad bill changed,
but has come to prize highly any DEM
onstration of Republican harmony. The
postal bank bill vote in the Senate
cheered him immensely. He regarded
it as one of the best things done by
either branch of Congress at this ses-
sion. These efforts at harmony have
accordingly given the Senate debate on
the railroad bill great significance. and
much attention is being paid to the
views that the insurgents are voicing.
The influence of a harmony vote in the
Senate upon the railroad bill when it Is
taken up in the House would be very
leaders are afraid the more radical atti-
tude of the House regarding railroad
legislation Is likely to be tremendous
obstacle to getting the bill enacted into
law, and may delay the session for
week or two if it does not result in kill
ing the legislation altogether
Practically nothing except the rail-
road bill is receiving any attention in
the Senate. The Statehood bill is on
the shelf, altho it has been favorably
reported from the Committee on Terri
tories. No decision has been reached in
the Senate as to whether serious ef-
fort will be made to enact 1t into law.
Whenever an appropriation bill is ready
for consideration the Senate will put
the railroad bill aside till the supply
measure has been disposed of, for II is
an old-established rule that appropria-
ton bills have the right of way. Senator
Hale, Chairman of Appropriations, has
just returned from rest to give the
appropriations bills that have passed
the House big boost. He will demand
some time from the Senate this week
and will get it.
Other Measures.
The session is now so far advanced
that measures which are to go thru
must be given constant and careful at
tention. That is what most of the Pres
ident's bills are receiving. 1t is notable
in that connection that whatever is
done, outside of the appropriation bills.
will be done simply because the Presi-
dent wants it. The Senate did not want
the postal banks bill, and it does not
want the railroad bill. Three-fourths
of the Republican Senators think neith-
er measure is needed at this time, but
they have been willing to defer to the
Presidents judgment in the matter and
IN n hic lrscyl 1ar1t hat q
party pledge, made in the National
platform. Had the President not in
sisted in these matters Congress would
have ignored the party pledges for this
legislation.
The situation has not developed as
fully in the House, but enough has be-
come apparent to show that the House
does not believe in the postal savings
bank bill. However. 1t is expected to
pass there for the same reason that it
passed in the Senate-because the Pres
ident wants it. Apparently there must
be a party caucus before the House
takes up the bill.
From all appearances these various
activities presage an exceedingly inter-
period from now on to adjournment.
The first three months of the session
have been leisurely, but the inactivity
of those opening months may be more
than made up by the extraordinary
of the last two or three
months. No one now undertakes to
tell how long it is likely to take to fin
ish the work. 1t will hardly be less
than two months; 1t may be as much |
as three months. The leaders generally |
think they can get the work completed, |
so as to have adjournment by June /. |
The President would like to have an |
early adjournment, that he may make |
in the Summer his long-contemplated |
trip to Alaska. II adjournment should |
be delayed till July 1 he would have to |
postpone his trip to Alaska till the early |
because he wants some time |
at his Summer residence at Beverly.