Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER
Congress Has Not Done What Pres
ident Said MustVbe.

| pSeh 10 dS usual tHe swelling theme
of the congress which expired on the
4th of March. All Congresses open
with thrilling programs. Legislation
is needed. THE world moves" as
Calico said, but Congress does not
move with it. The parcels post bill
has not been passed. The big Texas
Senator objected to it about midnight
in the midst of filibuster, and that
killed 1t. Many other urgent mea-
sures have failed even to receive at
tention. Public interests pine. The
lobby is as ever active and insistent
making theirs appear the peoples
fight. 1t is rude awakening to our
national egoism to learn that the
countries that we have so long re-
ferred to as effete despotisms are
most pliable through their sensitive
governments to the interests of the
people than is our own complicated
and clumsy legislative incumberance.
For the last week in Congress there
nave been almost continuous night
and day sessions with sleepy legis-
lators pulling and scrapping at cross
purposes in an endeavor to make
political and personal capital. Few
| OF them are representatives in any
large sense of the whole people.
| Most of them represent first them
selves, their private fortunes and
| ambitions, or at most provincial
rather than national interests. There
are, of course some senator's and
members of larger mold and com
| pleter preparation for legislative
work, but they are without sufficient
influence on the legislative mass and,
unfortunately, some of those who are
| best equipped with entellec, and ex-
| perience, as, for example, the big
| Texas Senator, have influence in ma
| tional affairs that is retrogressive
and malign.
During the present session the
executive has doubtless risen in pub
lie estimation. His promptness and
his good-humored intention to carry
out reforms and confirm broad ma
| tional policies have impressed the
country. His cabinet is one of the
| strongest and most efficient in ma
tional history. The accomplishment of
the young Postmaster General in
saving eleven millions of dollars in
postal expenses is solid and bril-
liant, and if Congress were re-
| sponsive to the efforts of the Post
master General, this saving could
easily be doubled, but there it is
again-the Texas obstacle. The
Postmaster General is in fight to
finish with the magazines in a de-
termination to increase postage rates
on advertising matter. He is sup
ported by the President, who told
the magazine men in recent inter-
view that his contention for an in
creased rate on second class postage
had only begun, and that they must
expect to face the issue in the Con-
gress. The President said further
that the United States had spent a
quarter of a million of dollars in
vestigating the subject, and that in
view of this fact the demand of the
magazine men for an investigation
was unnecessary; very thorough
Investigation has been made by men
who know most about the postoffice
department, and that he, the Presi-
| dant would fn1l0uy hot
mendation. "The question we have
to decide" said the President, "is
whether there is a burden growing
out of second class mail, and then
who increases that burden beyond
the government receipts. There has
been suggestion by those friendly
advertisements 1 have seen covering
whole pages, that the motive of Mr..
Hitchcock and myself is to get even
with somebody Well, a man who
has ordinary common sense does not
seek the continued hostility of an in
terest as powerful as the magazines
He only goes into fight of this kind
from sense of duty"
II am going ahead with 1t as long
as am in Office. You may be able to
defeat the present proposal. These
things are frequently capable of de-
feat for time. But as long as l
have the power am going to recon-
mend the consideration of this ques-
tion until it is settled. 1t is not In
the slightest spirit of hostility to
the magazines that have made this
recommendation"