The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-31
RECIPROCITY BILL
CHAINE ED LIKE
PROMETHEUS
Mythical Story POrtrays Pres
ent Situation in Congress
CAN'T FORECAST RESULTS
No One at Washington Seems to Have
Any Idea How Tangle viii
UnraVel

Washington, May 29-The mythical
representation of "Prometheus
Bound" would exactly portray the
present situation in congress. Only
substitute for Prometheus the reel
procity bill chained to the rock and
its multitude OF enemies tearing at
its yitals, and the result would mater
ialize the thought OF the pagan poet
and artist. No more vivid conception
OF the thought is possible.
Among those whose employment
has kept them around congress and
on the inside of its tortuous and intin
tie manipulation of matters for many
years, including correspondents, en-
ployes and members of one or the
other of the two houses just such a
condition as the present has ever be-
fore presented itself. TO say that 1t
is a puzzle very weakly expresses it.
A puzzle has oneseorrect solution, but
in the case OF reciprocity any one OF
many guesses as to what is the OBJ
ject OF the present situation and the
reason for tangling the skein is as
good as another
All we are sure of is that we are
in a political labyrinth, a maze of by
paths leading-where2 Is any COM
bination trying to accomplish any
thing in particular, and il so, just
what? WHAT is being sought to be
accomplished by all this secretive
finesse? Where will the thing end,
who will benefit or suffer by what is
being attempted, and what sort of
a political face will be put on the sit
uation finally? These are only
very few of the questions that are be-
ing asked by serious and anxious
knots of men all over the capitol
every hour of the twenty-four.
Looking as far as possible over and
beyond the fog OF conflicting purpos-
es ii appears to be fact that the
reciprocity bill has been and is being
held in committee until manipulating
and trading on the floor OF the senate
finally assures a certain working ma
iority against the bill The reason
able explanation is that when this
time arrives the matter will be re-
leased from committee. We can only
apply logic and reason to the subject,
all of which points in that direction.
And yet, there is apparently another
reason, running parallel with the
above 1t is this: There is a major
ity in the committee, not only against
the bill itself, but in favor OF the
Root wood pulp amendment. The
committee desires time by protracted
hearings to justify itself before the
country in amending the bill with this
amendment. If amended and weak
ened-if not kflled-by being reported
with the amendment it will go into
the senate with the added probability
of a majority against it in its original
form and the entering wedge OF a
deadly amendment, it may be riddled
with other amendments until 1t were
q charity to kill it to get I, out of its
misery.
This is submitted as the most re-
markable analysis of the purposes OF
the senate to date. 1t must be borne
in mind, moreover, that the bill VIII
have no friends in the senate who are
capable of adequately defending 1t in
debate. The best orators and debat-
ers are all holly opposed to it, and 1t
will suffer grieyousy for lack of ad-
vocacy or any defence that might be
made. Stone among the democrats
and Brown among the republicans will
protect its interests as best they can,
but neither are especially happy In de-
bate.
1t is announced and well understood
that the president is very apprehen-
siye of the outcome under present cir
cumstances, and that he will at once
use the most vigorous means at his
command to bring things to focus
before the bill is yet further weakened
by log rolling and jockeying. He
has at last realized that reciprocity
is dangerously i'll at least and that
its only hope lies in the most prompt
and heroic action. But it is not be
lieyed that anything he may do will
avail Individual senators say that
he started the trouble on his own re
sponsibllity, assuming that he could
crowd it through congress, and that
under the circumstances they are not
called upon to pull his chestnuts out
of the fire If they had been consult
ed in the first place in the matter
which none of them ever We're, they
would feel something like joint re
sponsibility, but being wholly ignored
in the first instance they are inclined
TO allow him to get out of it as bes
he can.
The fact that not one member o
either branch of congress OF any part!
or faction was consulted on the sub
ject of reciprocity previous to III
being thrown into the arena is, az
regards matter of that magnitude
entirely unprecedented in COMPRESSION
al history. II their opinion had beei
asked, substantially every repubhcal
in either house would have protested
and earnestly advised against turtle
complicating tariff matters by the for
cling of such a question at such de
cidedly inopportune time but histor,
moved in another direction Hinc III
ryae lacrimae,
Meanwhile the House has mostl'
gone home or is on on its summe
vacation. What there is left OF
here meets and adjourns regularl
every three days, which program !
good until next week at least MOI
day next is the date of the holding o
the democratic House caucus whic
win decide az to endorsing the 10y
tariff program of the ways and mean