Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-02-24

IL lSI luG enactment OF the measure.
The most notable Of these is the bill
for the creation Of a tariff commits
sion, passed a few days ago with the
aid Of Democratic votes. Out OF this
springs trouble both for the Demo
cratic and Republican parties. Speak
ing as looker-on l would say that the
Democratic organization Is likely to
suffer most. Nearly four-flfths of the
representation of that party IN the
house Of representatives voted against
the leader they had chosen, and
Champ Clark, whose chief boast has
Leen-I don't really mean boast, for
Clark Is never boastful-that he was
the man who unified the Democrats in
the house, found prodigious majority
of them against him. The Democratic
party from top to bottom is against
tariff commission. 1t looks upon
commission as mere device to post
pone tariff legislation, a cheap plan
inaugurated by the enemies of imme-
date tariff reform to put off to the
last possible moment legislation for
which the people as a whole are cry
ing. Any tariff commission created
by this congress will be appointed by
William H. Taft, pronounced protec-
ZIONIST. Under the resolution essen
TALLY an eX-parte commission. Or to
put it in language more understand
able by the whole people, a packed"
commission The president would be
more than human if he did not select
for that commission men wholly in
accord with his own political Ideas.
True the bill provides that he shall
appoint two members of the minority
party-the Democracy. But there are
Democrats and Democrats-and then
some other Democrats! When the
president selected his cabinet officers
and advisers there was much TODD
made about the choice of Dickinson
for secretary of war, and MacVeagh
for secretary Of the treasury. Both
were labelled Democrats, though it
had been many years since either had
voted Democratic ticket. At meet
ing Of the National Press club not
long ago Secretary MaeVeagh de-
voted his entire time to a political
eulogy of President Taft, although the
custom Of the club is to avoid any
sort Of political discussion. Gov.
Woodrow Wilson was present and
spoke at some length, but although
himself a big figure in the eye of the
American people and the Democratic
party, said not one word which could
be construed as partisan. But the
presidential appointee is always par
tisan and, like the OK, knows his mas
ter's crib So, too, in all probability
would be the members Of any partisan
tariff commission.
Caucus Action Criticized.
The determination of the Repub-
lican caucus the other night to
sentatives in congress to be pro-
vided for under the recent census
to 391-the exact number provided
for under the census of 1900-is hard
~ likely to be put through the house
except after some rather vigorous
comment and criticism. In it's favor
Is set up the basic proposition that
there are too many congressman al
ready. That might be answered fair
ly by the assertion that there are too
many of some sorts and not enough of
others.
Congressman Who Actually Work.
There are too many loaf1ng con-
gressmen and not enough workers like
Mann Of Illinois with few Of whose
views l agree, or Underwood Of Ala
bama. These men-and a score of
others on each side politically Of
the chamber-work. They are forced
to work the harder because there are
so many lesser figures who do little
or nothing except talk politics Men
of the Mann and Underwood type
would be welcomed to the service of
great industrial corporations at five
times their present salaries. But pub
lie life has it's charms and it's COM
pensatiOns. Neither of these men has
enriched himself by public service;
each has to fight for his political life
every two years. Yet both stand
stoutly by their guns, battling for an
tagonistic causes, but seeking the
common good.
House Membership Relatively Small.
1t is not the numbers, but the sort
of representatives in congress that is
important. The Republican caucus
was very apprehensive that a larger
house would mean more disorder,
more difficulty on the part of the
speaker to maintain control In an
earlier letter pointed out that among
the great nations of the earth our ma
tional legislature is one of the small
est. It is smaller than the British
House Of Commons, and when the
population Of the respective countries
is considered 1t is smaller than the
legislatures Of Germany, France or
Austria-Hungary. It's turbulence is not
due to it's size, but to It's furniture.
That seems rather a f1ippant state
ment, but If the plan to decrease the
size of the chamber were adopted,
take out the desks and substitute
benches as In the English House Of
Commons eliminate the aiSleS which