New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-06
CoMNoY SENSE IN WIsHITGT0T

i y
The New York Times advises Presi-
dent Taft that he has now IAN opportu-
nnity to show his courage and make an
impression upon the country by re
iecting the postal savings bank bill and
the railroad bill when they come to
him from Congress OF the former "The
Tines remarks that the point is not
"the merits of the scheme THAT will pass
Congress-, but the fact that il is not
"Mr. Taft's bill This is not very fat
terfng to Mr. Taft. We should say that
in his mind the point" would be dis
tinctly the merits of the bills that might
come to him, not their conformity with
the bills which he originally proposed.
If the bills are good bills we should ex-
pect him to sign them even if they had
been largely made over in Congress.
The plan of introducing "administra
ton measures" would work very badly
if the Executive should take such pride
in his suggestions that any change by
Congress would be discourage No ad
ministration measure should be regarded
as beyond improvement or not open to
question or discussion In Congress are
many experts, at least in the details of
framing legislation. Some Of them have
given most Of their lives TO this work,
ard an attitude toward administration
measures which would discourage their
contributing their experience and
ripened judgment to the putting of such
measures in shape would be absurd and
hurtfll. There is not the least reason
for thinking that Mr.. Taft holds the
opinion which The Times" urges upon
him, that the point is not the merits
of the bills, but the fact that the bills
are not his bills as originally proposed.
4 little common sense should stralghten
out the difficulties under which the Taft
proposals now seem to be Iaboring. The
phenomenon OF insurgency is bewiidering
because il is unfamiliar. But we decline
10 believe that the breakdown of party
discipline is the end Of good sense. Do
the gentlemen ia the House of represent
atives who are stuffing the railroad bill
daily with al sorts of fantastic non
sense take what they arc doing seri-
Dusty? They know what they are about.
They are candidates for election next
fail. They are free, gloriously free. No
rude restraining hand is upon them
they know that the "home folks" know
it, and therefore they have no excuse for
failing TO titillate the economic and
political fapcies of their constituencies.
They cannot go back and say that they
were hot for physical valuations and
long and short haul provisions, but that
Cannon" Smot1ered and suppressed
them and the organization stified their
zeal. They must now deliver the goods"
and they are delivering them. After es
tablishfng record in the sight Of all
men they will be in a position to get
down 10 business and pass a measure
that represents the consensus of RepuD-
lican opinion in both houses and Will be
acceptable to n Republican President.
The counsel of despair comes from those
who for interested reasons are pointing
at the dreadful things that happen when
legislative machinery is irreverently
carried to the scrapheap. But until the
event proves it, however much It may
look that way. we shall not be ready
TO believe that common sense WAS
"Scrapped' at the same time