The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-04-25
The Old Order chanseth

A period of political upheaval
which is likely to make 1910 memoir
able in the country's annals, has
clearly arrived. Movement has be-
come very rapid, Adrich and Hale
the two great leaders of conserva-
tive opinion in the Senate, announce
their purpose to retire from the Sen
ate only little in advance of the cleo
tion of a Democrat in the thirty
second New York district by an over
turn hardly less sensational than that
in the Massachusetts fourteenth
few weeks ago But personal chang
es form only part of the story.
Radical causes seem more than
ever to have the right of way. Only
two years ago the Wisconsin dele
gates under La Follette's lead. fore
ed a roll call at the last national con
yention on three of their favorite re.
forms, all of which were denied
place in the Republican platform by
overwhelming majorities. And yet
what has become of them? One, en-
bodied in the Mccall bill for public
ity OF campaign expenditures, has
just passed the House OF Represen-
tatives with hardly dissenting vote
A second, the popular election of sen
ators, is coming so rapidly that, ac-
cording TO recent study by the state
librarian of Indiana, forty-four mem
bers Of the United States Senate al.
ready secure their seats by circum-
venting the constitution in this par.
ticular, Indiana Republicans only
few days ago put themselves on rec
ord in favor of this change. thereby
multiplying the charge that this is a
Democratic issue,
The third IaFollette reform-the
physical valuation of the railroads OF
the country by national authority
has not yet been directed but that It
will be the inevitable result Of fur
ther federal authority in rate-making
is very clear How can any one tell
what earnings would be fair without
knowing tbe legitimate value Of the
investment? Thus the regulation"
impulse is progressive. While this Is
a year i'm which only thirteen legisla.
lures have been in session. the in.
come tax amendment has been car.
ried in all of the states in which that
proposal has been reached except one
and Mr.. Ravens In New York and Mr.
Foss IN Massachusetts, the victors In
the latest congressional contests
have made a particular point OF advo-
cacy of this issue in their cam
paigns.
In spite Of all that Aldrich and
Hale say Of ill.health, II Is clear that
these seasoned leaders Of the Senate
are laying down their work because
they recognize that public opinion
has moved away from them. THIS is
distinctly the case with Mr. Hale. He
has been nominated FIVE times unan.
imously He does not care for a
sixth nomination as the result Of a
struggle. Mr. Aldrioh has been clear
ly disappointed In learning that he
has become such n bugbear to Middle
Western sentiment and that his name
is weighing down Taft and threaten
ing, through an appeal to prejudice
the very currency reform measur,
upon which he had set his heart a,
the one great contribution which h,
J might make 20 American leglslatlv,
progress. The people seem not Z,
want Il II II Is to bear his name.
Men who grow old in the senat,
, seldom like to leave Il; the associa
/, lions are almost invariably attractlv,
I For a long time the conservativ,
: leaders have been making efforts I,
strengthen their own lines and b,
personal appeal and otherwise, bend
ing their energies toward gettinI
men elected to that body with view