The Holly chieftain., 1910-04-01


on the railroad bill will run over sew
eral weeks. and that 1t will be an en-
tireiy different measure when 1t leaves
the senate than when 1t was forced In
from the committee on interstate
commerce.
Nothing that has happened in re-
cent years in the senate SO thoroughly
demonstrated the alacrity with which
certain members Of that body will
jump to the defense Of the country
than the vote upon the resolution to
investigate the Washington Gas Light
Company
The resolution provided that the In
vestigation proposed should be made
by the committee on corporations or
ganized In the District Of Columbia. .
standing committee Of the senate. II
its title indicates that It 10 to have
Jurisdiction over any subject It 10 over
the subject Of such . corporation a. il
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 IL. 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 90
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 q vote of
80 to 30. 1t is interesting as illus
trating the lineup Of the senate upon
corporation matters and for the fur
ther reason that 1t shows there were
II 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 well
established procedure Of the senate in
order to serve the gas company.
ProsressIvss 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 It's 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
| nfficance in the legislative history OF
the country.
The events show that while the
power of the great interests is still
potent In congress 1t 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, 1t was encour-
aging In that 1t was the first time in
years that matter of this kind
could get hearing on the floor of the
senate by way Of a report from one
Of its committees This Is encouraging
and shows that In the senate as well
as In the house the influence of the
people is manifesting itself.
Now for Business.
"1 am tired Of consulting particular
interests to see whether or not
thing ought to go through. am in
favor of consulting every interest to
see what Its argument may be and
want to give Justice to every interest
I want to know II thing is right. II
1t is right. we can convince the people
that 1t is right and they will be with
us."-President 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 1t expresses as well the
overwhelming sentiment of the rank
and file of the party and of the whole
people Of the nation. The battle In