Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-05-18
h The Halls of Congress
BY TAV, $
Special washinctop Correspondence.

sentative government almOSt-Dut nOl Qulte- prevails in the national house of representa- tves.
 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 allowed.
 Heretofore these privileges have to all prac tical ends been enjoyed almost exclusively by the representatives 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 the local political or colossal campaign contributions.
 Had the Cannon machine been working smoothly the railroad bill would have been pre- pared by committee 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 report ed from committee under 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 Uncle Joes committee on interstate and for eign commerce, which is generously packed with men friendly to the railroads.
 The improvement of the railroad bill in the house through a coalition of the democrats and progressives is cause for rejoicing. But it does not mean that the people have really wrest- ed control of the national law-making ma- chinery from the special privilege ring For this reason:
 The house is only the lower branch of con- gress. The railroad bill will not become law as passed by the house. The senate is the dom- mating branch of congress- and it is still con- trolled absolutely by the greedy corporate in- terests. The senate will pass a bill containing some of the very features stricken from the measure in the house as being against the vel fare of the people, Both the senate and house bills will then he sent to a conference committee composed of either three or five members of each branch of congress. AS the majority of the conferees will be regular" republicans, spe- cially selected by Aldrich and Cannon, it goes without saying that much of the good work ac- complished by the house democrats and pro- gressives will be reversed.
  the tariff fiasco all over again
 Representative government will have givenI special privilege a tight race but in the finish Aldrichism and Cannonism will win by nose But why should such a result be considered stranger For what purpose do the railroads make $26O,O0O contributions to the republican campaign fund if it is not to control the repub lican party's legislation?
 The Mccall campaign publicity bill has been amended as to provide for the publication of campaign contributions AFTER election. in- stead of BEFORE AND AFTER election. Pub licity of contributions after elections is regard ed by democrats as something like locking the door of the stable after the horse has been stolen. Senator Burrows of Michigan. chair man of the senate committee on privileges and elections, very kindly explained why the pro- vision for publicity of contributions before cleo ton had been stricken from the Mccall bill. If, v said Senator Burrows, Eve were to give out the list of contributors prior to an eection1 It would mean that interruptions newspapers and persons would take advantage of the in formation thus disclosed and proceed to de- nounce the candidate on the strength of the of the contributions made to his cam , palgn." In other words if the voters were per mltted to know who was putting up the money TOT the candidates campaign they might defeat nlm Could stronger argument be presented for publicity BEFORE election as well as after election? Think it over
 Instead of saving any portion of the $3OO