Rock Island Argus., 1911-08-23

n ONE VINO mas ever Oetn IL
"a Washington during August can
realize something OF the tr1ai is
of the extra session Of the Six
ty-second congress. II Dante could
have had that experience it would
have given him added descriptive ma
teriaI for the Inferno" Washing gtOn
in August may not be the hottest city
on earth, but those visiting a hotter
one seldom survive to tell the tale.
Any congress that would remain in
the capital during the dog days must
either be doing penance or exhibiting
TO the country a high devotion TO pub
lie duty. 1t is literally subtecting its
political faith to the trial by fire.
Washington during August is so hot
that the asphalt in the streets is
muddy. the walls OF the public build
tngs give Off heat waves like blast fur
naces. the statues in the park take on
q tense and aGouiZed look. and the
Washington monument IS surrounded
by tremulous and crinkHnG air like a
hot poker. Genera Is Humidity and
Torridity join forces and open siege.
IT is so bot that even graft Ianguishes
and the lobbyists fee TO the seashore
To listen to a tariff discussion in such
an atmosphere must approach the limit
OF human endurance. No wonder the
members call each other liars. They
are more. They are torturers. They
condemn their victims TO a fiery fur
mace and lombard them with hot air.
1t must be that the southern mem
bers, being used 10 a warm climate
and hence immune. decided to give
of the wrath to come. Yet there IS
one thing against the theory. Nobody
can be immune TO the heat of Wash
ington in August ! know, for l once
went through it. That was fifteen
years ago. but / remember It as If it
were yesterday. / still perspire and
shrivel up at the mere thought So
far as ] know. there is not a single
southern city so hot as Washington IL
August If there is such a one, God
help its nhs bitants, After going
through that sizzling experience 1
thought of the hereafter and decided
10 lead a better life. Perhaps in the
present instance the southern Demo
Gratis were moved by q similar asso-
ciatiOn OF ideas. One cannot go through
an August or even a July in Washing
ton without being reminded OF the hot
place and often mentioning it by name.
Jrobab bly, the southern Democrats
thought OF where they wanted the
Republicans TO go and decided to give
them a preliminary scorching as an
earnest of this desire.
Anyway, we have a new crop OF
martyrs. Ordinarily n congressman Is
fhe last man we would think of in the
martyrs role. but he sure played the
part this time. Washington weather
Is often a matter of extremes. but
twice a year IL outdoes itself. This IS
on Inauguration day and in August.
What Was Done.
A review OF the extra session would
not be complete without this advance
talk on the weather. 1t Is needed to
give atmosphere to the picture. Heat,
both physical and mental, is an i'm
portant ingredient in the psychology of
congress
The special session was called to
enact Canadian reciprocity. 1t dad
this and more-Or, rather, tried to do
more, but the president would not let
It.
the reciprocity agreement; the re-
vision OF Schedule *. otherwise the
wool bill; the free list bill. intended TO
make up 10 the farmers some of the
inequalities In the reciprocity pact; the
reduction Of the cotton schedule. which
finally had coupled 10 it revision OF
the iron and steel schedules and some
others: the statehood bill, the reappor-
fiOnment OF the house of representa-
tives. direct election OF senators, pub
hcity OF campaign expenditures, the
LOrimer investigation. the inquiries
into the steel trust and the sugar trust,
the probe into the Wiley case and into
the administration Of the pure food
law, the Controller bay investigation
and the arbitration treaties with
France and England
or these the reciprocity agreement
has been passed and has gone TO Can
ada for approval; the tariff reduction
bills and statehood in its first form
have been vetoed by the president; di-
rect election Of senators, the investi-
cations and the arbitration treaties
have gone over 20 the next session.
and the reapportionment. amended
statehood and publicity bills have be-
come laws.
That is not a very large record OF &C
complishment. but is q big record of
eno1-Feally monumental in view OF
the hot weather l presume that never
since the civil war did congress IN
oertase so much in the summer
months.
Steel Trust Probe.
The Investigations alone have been |
numerous and labOrious-at least have |
occasicned many Is bored explanations !
There is the steel trust probe. In which 1
the late John ". Gates accused An /
drew Carnegie Of being n bull in /
china shop" and OF kicking over gen |
tiemen's agreements. Colonel Theo- |
dore RoOsev cit. George W. Perkins, /
n