Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-05-18
SPECIAL
: WASHINGTON
REsPoNDENcE.
COR
BY Clyde H. Travenner.

representative government al
most-but not quite-prevails in the
national House of Representatives.
Although still Objectionable as
passed by the House, the railroad
regulation bill was discussed amended
and improved. And it was all done
in the open.
The entire membership of the
House, for a change, was permitted
to vote on the question of rejecting
undesirable sections. The improve.
ment of the bill by amendment was
also allowed.
Heretofore these privileges have
to all practical ends been enjoyed al
most exclusively by the representa-.
tives of the tariff trusts, the rail-
roads, Wall street and other forms of
special privilege which dominate the
Republican party through either the
control of local politics or colossal
campaign contributions.
Had the Cannon machine been
working smoothly, the railroad bill
would have been prepared by com
mittee in the exact form it would
have become law. That is, a few
men would have done the legislating
instead of the entire membership
of the House Had Cannonism pre-
vailed, the railroad bill would have
been reported from committee under
a rule prohibiting the membership Of
the House from voting for or against
amendment. Bad features of the bill
could not have been eliminated. The
entire measure, jokers and all, would
have been forced down the throat of
the House just as submitted by I'm
Gle, Joe's' committees on Interstate
and Foreign commerce which is gene1
ously packed with men friendly to the
railroads.
The improvement of the railroad
bill in the House through coalition
Of the Democrats and Progressives is
a cause for rejoicing. But it does
not mean that the people have really
wrested control of the national law
making machinery from the special
privilege ring. For this reason:
The House is only the lower branch
of Congress. The railroad bill will
not become law as passed by the
House. The Senate is the dominat-
ing branch of Congress, and it is
still controlled absolutely by the
greedy corporate interests. The Sem
ate will pass bill containing some
of the very features stricken from
the measure in the House as being
against the welfare of the people.
Both the Senate and House bills will
then be sent to conference COM
nittee composed of either three or
five members of each branch of Con-
sress AS the majority of the cor
ferees will be regular" Republicans
specially selected by Aldrich and Can
non, it goes without saying thai
much of the good work accomplished
by the House Democrats and Pro-
sressives will be reversed.
The finale of the railroad bill
promises to be the tariff fiasco all
over again
Representative government will
have given special privilege a tight
race, but in the finish Aldrichism
and Cannonism will win gby a nose.
But why should such a result be con-
sidered strange? For what purpose
do the railroads make $250,OOO con-
tributions to the Republican cam
paign fund if it is not to control the
Republican party's legislation?-
The Mccall Campaign Publicity bill
has been so amended as to provide
for the publication of campaign con-
tributions AFTER election, instead of
BEFORE AND AFTER election. Pub
iicity of contributions after elections
is regarded by Democrats as some
thing like locking the door of the
stable after the horse has been stol-
en-. Senator Burrows of Michigan,
chairman of the senate committee on
Privileges and elections, very kindly
explained why the provision for pub
licity of contributions before election
had been stricken from the Mccall
bill. "If," said Senator Burrows,
I'VE We're to give out the list of con-
tributols prior to an election it
would mean that inscriptions news
papers and persons would take adj