Middletown transcript., 1911-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER

"4shiS1foNs D. ", February I'd, 19lIs
| A n extra session ofCongress after the 4th
a OF March is more than probable.
Congress is pulling in several different
directions. Certain Senators and mem.
bere OF the lower house are kicking and
baking. The lesson of She last congress.
ional election is unneeded or misunder.
stood. Such self-esident proposition as,
the desirability Of reciprocity With Oanada
is opposed by Senator from Texas and
the Speaker ofthe House from Illinois and
BY recently elected Senator from Mass.
achusetts;and all of them have some back.
ing in Congress. Senator Bailey ofTexas
and Senator Brown of Nebraska have both
given the Senate to understand that they
are itching to filIibuster, and it is evident
that within the three short weeks remain.
ing the appropriation bills cannot be pass.
ed without making concessions to reCaici-
trant elements in Congress.
~
The President wants tariff commission.
The Democratic msiority that will control
the House after March 4th wants no tariff
commission, but wants to pass tariff bill
Of their own invention and contraction,
though how they can do it with the Sen.
ate and White House in opposition, no
man and not even any woman knoweth.
~
There is prospect OF the passage of Q.
homeopathic parcels post bill. Well, let
Us be thankful for small favors. For many
year the nonarchies of Europe have en-.
joyed an excellent parcels post bill, as
have also some of the semi.barbaric no.
tions of Asia. In fact, it seems that this
blessing is possible in nearly, all the des-
potisms of the Old World. But in our
own despotism of interests with represent.
atiyes in Congress it cannot be had, With
forty thousand rural mail carriers with
their pockets barely full of letters and
newspapers, many OF them driving carts
or four wheelers, an excellent equipment
for carrying packages of eleven pounds
each to the farmers and other rural resi-.
dents, this blessing necessary to country
people and necessary to the Postmaster
General in order to enable him to extin.
guish the postofice deficit is not attainable.
1t is too good for American citizens.
t.*
Reciprocity as the next thing to frea
international trade would be the next
best thing in the world. With recipro-
city, fleets and armies might be discharg.
ed, custom houses abandoned, taxes re.
duced to one-6fth their present enormity,
and living expenses turned back to the
minimum cost of our great-grsndfather
days. The reason this country is super.
latively prosperous today is because Of
of the unhampered reciprocity between
the states. Then why not little recis
procity with our good northern neighbOr7
Why? Because of Congress, politics and
the devil. How long will Americans be
beguiled with the lie that we are q free
country when We are governed by a bed.
lam legislative body, many Of the units Of
which are incapable of looking much be-
yond the little corners of the nation in
which their several districts are situated.
~
But this is not the whole Of the ugly
truth. Many of them are under the in.
auence and the pay directly or indirectly
of the corporation to send them to WASH
ington. They are not the representa-.
tives of the people, but the attorneys Of
trusts who serve their masters by robbing
the people. How otherwise could the
United States be 30 long behind
the monarchies of Europe and Asia
in the enjoyment of cheap parcels postf
Give Us reciprocity, give US parcels post,
give Us free coal, free lumber, free wool,
free raw material and free cooked material
Cease legislation in favor of Interests.
Discontinue. thee Chinese policy now aband-
oned even by the Chinese of shutting out
the rest Of the world in order that inter.
nal robbers may have unmolested play.
~
A statesman of the first magnitude has
appeared on the horizon, and the nation
is looking toward New Jersey.