The National tribune., 1910-05-12
in CONGRESS.
Prolonged Battling Over the Rail
road and Postal Savings Bank
Bill-Uncertainty as to the Out
come.
come

CARDS his immediate program.
The insurgents are making their ut
termost efforts at mischief, and are
forcing the test as 10 whether they or
the regular faction of the dominant
party shall have final voice in shaping
the Federal laws.
In the clashing of spear on shield
and the struggling to discipline the re-
calcitrants Washington is having
unusual Congressional developments
which will make the present session
more or less memorable. The deliber-
ations over the Presidents railroad bill
demonstrated that there were enough
Insurgents in Senate and House to make
successful coalitions with the Demo-
Gratis This was a very exceptional
status. and exceptional methods have
been brought to bear to get the insur-
gents back into line.
The President has taken command of
the situation. He is bidding the insur-
gents return. and the influence of his
great Office is being eNerted to that
end. 1t looks as tho the party would
1naintain control in the Senate. but only
thru making certain concessions in leg
islatfon. All this has injected ginger
into the proceedings of the early Wash
ington Springtime, just when business
WAS becoming dull and prosaic.
The insurgency all comes from be-
y
caTly all from beyond the Mississippi
River. The party leaders realize that
the insurgent movement is becoming
very Tantankerous in that section and
that it must be faced squarely. The
Presidents purpose now is to fight it
TO the very death, and make it evident
that the Republicans will not allow men
who fire upon the party flag to claim
the protection of that flag and have
their claim allowed
The initial battle is being fought out
in Congress, and is raging with an in
tensity thought impossible few weeks
ago. If the regulars score in the out
come ii will be easier for them in the
Congressional campaigns. The situa-
ton is in, many respects like that OF
1886. when the Republicans refused to
indorse silver and declared for the gold
standard. The battles for silver were
fought out in Congress before the final
conflict came before the country. The
issue now is more comprehensive, for
the insurgents are insisting upon their
own Interpretation of the Roosevelt
policies and also of what constitutes a
proper revision of the tariff.
After all is said pro and con about
the situation at this time in Washing
ton the one word that describes il most
succinctly is uncertainty The big
battling this week may be more or less
decisive For tie moment the regular
Republicans are on top again. They
have regained control in the Senate,
and continue to have some show of
authority in the House. But the ex-
perience of the Winter has been that
the insurgents in both legislative
branches have proven themselves ex-
ceedingly tenacious fighters and the |
Democrats exceptionally ell-organized |
allies. And just when the regulars
al to hn
way again there has been an insurgent
outbreak which has captured another
fortress.
The Railroad Bill.
The President says his -ailroad-rate
bin must be carried thru to finality
He is certain of a final vote in the
House. altho the uncertainty as to
whether the Democrats and the insur- |
gents would vote out the provision for
a Commerce Court stood out promi- |
nently there prior to Tuesdays verdict |
on that bill. But the President was well
aware that the Senate had approved of
the Commerce Court, and therefore he |
could have a basis for a fight in con-
ference, whatever happened in the
House. The readjustment of the fac
tional differences in the Senate now
seem to assure a final vote there upon |
his railroad bill, altho the Democrats |
p IL.
Right on the heels of that situation, |
however, follows the inquiry whether |
the President will care to push his |
railroad bill thru the con- |
ference and stand a wrangIe there and I
in the Senate and House I
which. from present appearances, would |
keep Congress in session for the best
part of month. Hence it may be |
that the poor old railroad bill, which
represents the Presidents most earnest |
efforts to carry out the policies of the |
Roosevelt Administration, may be filed |
away on a shelf during the Summer |
and put over till the short session next |
Winter. Such action would undoubt- |
hdly mean the death Of the railroad bill |
for it could hardly be resuscitated dur
Ing the short session.
The Postal Savings Bank
This uncertainty viii hardly be clear
ed up for two or three weeks yet. but |
there are other uncertainties One Of !
them is the postal sayings bank bill |
which is having half dozen kinds of
trouble in the House. Il is now be- |
lieved that a bill can be REPORTED out of |
the House Post Offices andtPost Roads |
Committee. However, 1T SyiIl by no |
means be the kind of bin which the |
Senate enacted. The President, il is |
would never sign the kind of a |
is much uncertainty as toj whether the |
House will pass the kind of postal |
savings bank bill that the House Post |
Dffice Committee VIII report, and, fur |
thermore, there is dodbt and uncertain |
ty whether the Senate viii ever ap-
prove OF postal sayings bank hiIl such |
as the House Copiinittee Will report |
The trouble is chiefly over the proposed |
Impoundtng Of deposits in those banks, |
80 that the money shall not flow away |
to New York and the big financial cen
fers. The Wcsternnrs in Senate and !
House are determined that the money
shall be kept in the localities where it |
Is deposited. The President and some |
very substantial judges of such matters
reason that any such restrictive icgisla-
tlon would be exceedingly unwise.
Vexatious Uncertainty.
Hence the uncertainty as to whether
the House, If it can be persuaded to
enact a postal savings bank bill after
a caucus, perhaps. and certainly after
most strenuous efforts TO line up the
members, will not favor
puffinS the Senate hill and the House
bill away on conference shelf for con-
sideration at the next or short session
of Congress. To be sure that would
mean in the end no postal savings hank
Bill at all but action TO tnat Stage
would indicate that the Republican
Party had tried earnestly to carry out
tbe platform pledges, and would afford
he orators something to talk about in
the campaign.
II is significant in the midst OF so
much uncertainty that the last OF the
biz appropriation bills, the sundry civil
bill. has De4n F.DO-fad IN Tho TIo,,,s