The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-04-27

jump 70 the Qe1en0e or the country
than the vote upon the resolution t.
investigate the Washington Gas Ligh
Company.
The resolution provided that the In
vestigation proposed should be made
BY the committee on corporations or
ganized in the District of Columbia. Z
standing committee of the senate Il
its title indicates that 1t is to have
Jurisdiction over any subject It Is ovel
the subject of such a corporation as Is
furnishing gas to the people Of Wash
ington
Senator Brown asked that that reso
luton be referred to the committee on
contingent expenses Of the senate
That is. that It take the usual and or.
derly course. Senator Gallinger, the
head OF the committee on the District
OF Columbia, wanted that 1t should 60
to his committee. Mr.. Gallinger's mo-
ton was ruled out of order and then
he moved to lay the motion to refer to
the committee on the contingent ex-
penses Of the senate upon the table.
That motion was carried by a vote of
80 to 30 It is interesting as illus
trating the lineup of the senate upon
corporation matters and for the fur
Their reason that It shows there were
IL Democrats absent and not paired
This means that majority OF those
were somewhere about the capitol,
and had they been present and attend
ing to the business of legislation.
they could have prevented the Wash.
ington Gas Light Company from
working its will in the senate. Four
teen Republicans broke away from
the Aldrich Organization upon this
vote and Joined with 16 Democrats
that made up the 80 votes that were
cast against the violation of the we'll
established procedure of the senate In
order to serve the gas company.
Progressives Well Satisfied.
The overruling of Speaker Cannon,
his loss of control of the house, the
fight of the Progressive Republicans
to amend the house rules, the opening
OF the discussion of the railway bill
in the senate by Senator Cummins,
who forced the abandonment by the
Aldrich machine of its position in re-
lation to that measure, and the demon
stration of the Washington Gas Light
Company's power in the senate. made
week that was one of great sig
nft1cance In the legislative history of
the country,
The events show that while the
power of the great interests is still
potent In congress It is weakening
Progressives are elated at the turn
in events. Support of their position
came from unexpected quarters. Such
support is an admission that the peo-
pie IN the country are thinking along
the lines laid down in the Progressive
program and that members OF con.
gress are beginning to heed the
wishes of their constituents. While
the result of the gas fight in the sen.
ate was disappointing. it was encour.
aging In that It was the first time in
years that matter of this kind
could get hearing on the floor of the
senate by way of report from one
OF its committees. This Is ENCOURAGING
and shows that in the senate as we'll
as In the house the influence of the
people Is manifesting itself.
Now for Business.
Il am tired of consulting particular
interests to see whether or not
thing ought to go through. I am in
favor of consulting every interest to
see what its argument may be and
want to give Justice to every interest
] want to know If a thing is right. II
1t is right, we can convince the people
that 1t is right and they will be with
us. "-Presitent Taft.
While the house of representatives
was reaching the climax of its in
ternecine war over the revision of the
rules, the chief executive of the ma.
ton and head of the Republican party
was making this significant declara-
ton
In this utterance he spoke his own
mind. But it expresses as we'll the
overwhelming sentiment of the rank
and file of the party and of the whole
people of the nation. The battle in
the house was only another expires.
sion Of the same feeling. The presi.
dent is tired, and we are all tired Of
evasion. and delay.
And now the issue of "CannonisA"
Is overheard. The decks are cleared
for action. Let us have action. The
presidents legislation in fulfllment Of
the pledges Of the party knocks at
the doors Of congress. It is up to all
of the party there to see that
these pledges are fully kept Con.
servation. interstate commerce law
injunction restriction,
postal savings banks, are all on the
program to which tho party Is bound.
A Republican congress cannot longer
evade responsibility for legislation up
on these major subjects in full com.
pliance with the mandate of the PEG.
pie at the polls.
Chance for Legislation.
N