The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-03-10
BRATTLEBoRo. FRIDAY. MARCH 10, 10
CONGRESSIONAL RESULTS.

The final session OF the 6lst congress
came to an end Saturday amid stormy
scenes. To within an hour of the time
when the gavel fell in both houses il was
impossible 10 predict what the record
would be-what things would be left un'
done that ought TO be done and vice versa,
The house was obliged TO abandon the tar
i'll commission bill in order to do its part
in passing the necessary appropriation
measures; in the senate a determined Ell
fort was made to get consent to the adj
mission of Arizona and New Mexico as
separate states and the adoption of their
constitutions, but il failed at the last
moment. A feature Of the closing hours
in the house was the picturesque vale
dictory of Speaker Joseph G. Cannon who
relinquishes the gavel in favor of Champ
Clark of Missouri President Taft has
called an extra session OF the cd congress
April 4.
The record Of the session which closed
Saturday is one in which the country can
take no great pride. There were more
failures than accomplishments. Canadian
reciprocity, ship subsidy, direct election Of
senators, the tariff commission and the
admission of Arizona and New Mexico
were defeated after struggles of varying
intensity. The effort to unseat Senator
Lorimer was also unsuccessful, and Yer
monters will recall with regret that this
result was due in part to the vote of their
senior senator, Mr.. Dillingham;. The death
Of the ship subsidy measure is no doubt
actual, as it ought to be, but in the case
Of reciprocity and the direct election of
senators favorable legislation is expected
in the near future. In regard to the &C
complishments of the session the Washing
ton correspondent of the Springfield Re
publican says:
The enactment of the Appalachian for
est reserve bill after an agitation long daft
fed of its success by the bigoted opposi-
ton of Speaker Cannon and his machine
in the house is, from the standpoint of
the interests Of New England, the bright
est of the winters achievements. The
passage of the bill authorizing the annual
expenditure of $500, 900 for the purchase
of homes for our diplomatic and consular
representatives in foreign countries also
crowns with success another long agita-
ton and promises in time to put to an end
conditions which have been regarded as
a national disgrace by American travellers.
The codifcation and revision of the laws
relating to the judiciary, although an appa-
rently technical matter, must be counted
an important achievement because, in a
word, it tends to promote justice in the
courts and to put an end to conditions
which have operated in favor of the rich
against the poor The submission and
prompt ratification of the new treaty with
Japan, which has already resulted in
strong expressions of increased friendship
for America among the, Japanese people,
must be credited to the administration
as diplomatic achievement of the first
order and as one which of itself must tend
to establish considerable prestige for the
conduct of the state department under
Secretary Knox, hitherto the object of so
much criticism. Other items might be
added to this list of laws enacted, just as
other items might be added to the list of
those bills that have failed, but these are
the most important matters Of general
interest