Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-08-19
E.
CHAMPIONS
The Progressives Represent
ed the People in Congress.

ed the People in Congress.
What about the last session of Con-
gress? Was 1t a uccess or a failure
from the peoples viewpoint? Are
the laws it passed good or bad? What
part did the administration play in
the struggle between regulars and
progressives.
These and other questions are being
asked every day throughout the
country. To answer them the
Philadelphia North American had it's
Washington correspondent prepare a
thorough and accurate summary OF
the ACHE vements of the last session,
including the position taken by the
regulars, by the prosressives and by
the administration. Mr.. McSween's
article is given here in very condensed
form. He says:
A CAMPAIGN OF DECEPTION
ga campaign Of deception and false
pretense unprecedented in it's extent
and the vigor with which 1t IS being
waged has been inaugurated to cover
up the true history of administration
activities during the whole of the
recent session of Congress.
In connection With this there are
being exerted by the President him
self and every special-interest repre-
sentative who followed either Aldrich
or Cannon the strongest effort to per-
sasas the public that what was effect
ed for it's good through the persistent
courageous fighting of the progressive
Republicans, aided by Democrats in
both Houses, was effected by the very
men, including the President, who are
shown by the records to have opposed
with all the force at their command
the very propositions for which they
now claim credit.
SPLENDID FIGHTERS
''There has been no such splendid
leadership shown in either House of
Congress in many years as that of
Senator Cummins in the fight owe the
railroad bill. There has been no
more effective discussion of public
questions than were contained in the
speeches of Senator LaFollette, and
no more splendid oratory than that Of
Senator Dolliver. Nor have any men
fighting in any battle for public
rights against the grasping forces of
Special Privilege eve demonstrated
more courageous zeal, more intelligent
or firmer grasp of the problems pre-
sented or more unflagging determine
tion to maintain the fight against
whatever hazards than were shown by
these three and the handful of others,
Borah, Beveridge, Bristow, Clapp and
Dixon, who composed the progressive
faction in the Senate of the United
States.
"Now that the fight is temporarily
over and the achievements Of this
determined band are clearly revealed
in the legislation placed upon the
statue books, the public is asked to
turn from them and bestow the com
mendation to which they are entitled
upon the President and the followers
of Cannon and Aldrich. The very
audacity Of this proposition is giving
1t force. The chief claim made by
the President and those with whom
he has allied himself Is that the
President and his supporters put
through a remarkable legislative pro-
gram, thus redeeming all the pledges
Of the party platform and fulfilling
all the promises made by the Presi-
dent to the American people.
s"This program as now set forth
consists Of the railroad law, the
land withdrawal law, the appropriation
to permit the tariff question, the
statehood law, the law providing for
publicity of campaign contributions
and the law establishing a bureau of
mines.
sit is claimed for these that they
are all redemptfons of platform pledges
and that their enactment is due to
the efforts of the President.
"In order to show how little truth
there is in these assertions, the laws
themselves are carefully analysed,
their good and bad features pointed
out and the manner In which they
were enacted described. The state
ments made are supported by the
records and by general knowledge of
what was transporting from day to
day In Washington while the legisla-
ton vas under consideration.
CoWARDLY TACTICS
I'm some respects the records them
selves are deceptive, for it was the
practice of those who were battling
for the special interests whenever
they found themselves confronted by
inevitable defeat to abandon their
position, and by timely surrender
prevent the records from disclosing
through an actual. count of votes the
attitude of hostility to the public
welfare which had been maintained.
"Thus It is possible for Aldrich to
assert that the provisions in the rail-