The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-03-06
CHARACTERIZE
BY HOPELESS
INABILITY
Season Of 6lst Congress Which
Ended on Saturday
NO UNITY OF PURPOSE
Every Member was a Faction In Him
self Scheming for Private
Advantage

the shouting and tumult has died and
the sixty-frst congress has drifted
into eternal rest to sleep with its faith
ers | have assumed that your readers
might be terested-though possibly
palmetto know just how 1t all came
about. Like the humblest individual,
the evil that a congress does lives af-
ter it, while the good is largely inter
red with its bones From this point
of view the late unlamented left
whole lot more than 1t took with it.
In its later days the sixty-first con-
gress was fearfully and wonderfully
made up. Taken as a whole, in his
tory it will father vast amount of
valuable constructive legislation. The
varied record of the achievements OF
last years session demonstrates this,
and to a large extent makes up for
the hopeless inability of the session
| just closed. AS the life Of the con-
gress has ebbed, its constructive ca
pability has departed. In glazing con-
trast to the vast amount of excellent
work included in what is known as
the administration program material
lied in the closing weeks of the SEES
sion OF last summer the labors of the
session just closed shine in most dis
credtable contrast.
The reasons for this are perhaps
not individually discreditable, but are,
nevertheless, curious and peculiar. II
came eventually to be a congress OF
factions. Each member was an indiy-
ldual faction. There was no leader
ship, cohesion or unity OF purpose.
Naturally, as being theoretically the
party in power the impotence of the
republicans was much more glaringly
apparent The old-time leadership Of
the conservatives was broken and
disregarded, and the rival political
ambitions of the men fitted for lead
ership among the liberals prevented
such concert Of action as is necessary
for effective work. For these reasons
during the past three months there
has only been scheming for personal
advantage best expressed in the old
adage of every man for himself and
the devil take the hindmost."
Under such conditions the greatest
good of the largest number is neces-
sarily lost sight Of. There have been
wheels within wheels, and with the
ceaseless cutting under and wrang-
ling and scheming and manoeuvering
for position successful constructive
legislation has fallen between a
multitude of stools. A conspicuous
instance OF the failure Of leadership
under such conditions is the resigna-
ton OF Senators Bailey, which fell on
his colleagues of the Senate like a
thunderbolt in the closing moments
of the session Saturday lie felt that
his leadership and best efforts in be
half of his party had been disregarded
with his counsel, and that his useful.
ness under the circumstances was
dead. Hence, In his hopelessness, he
returns to private life. other able
men yet remain with a chip on their
shoulders TO fight IL out incidentally
Il may be said that II Is confidently
believed that the Texas legislature.
solidly democratic and heavily pro.
Bailey, will re-elect him with ire
mendous shout OF approval and vote
of confidence. However, this may
not serve to continue him in the sen.
ate.
The closing scenes in both houses
We're indiscr'tably riotous and con.
spicuousk siatesmanlike. Self.
seeking ar2.c ID the pinnacle OF its
own apoiheos m the House this
was more glsf.fs.. apparent In the
Senate that l.Iy had been bound
neck and hec'. "a a maze OF seeming.
ly hopeless i iamentary entangle-
ment for days Every interest bowed
necessarily to the god of selfaggrand.
izement Endless factions In nitric
ate combinations flibustered days
and nights to attain advantage over
anybody and everybody else Filibus.
tering was the order OF the day and
b night and business was side.trackcd
right and left to make a Roman holl.
day for the witless and unthinking
admiration of the galleries. 'Tis true.
tbs pity. and pity tbs It's true. Never
were truer words.
b Under such indescrlbable conditions
the wonder Is that even the approprl.
atons got through. and they only es.
capped by hair. None OF them were
safe until five minutes OF final ad.
b iournment AT 1880. within half
p hour OF the final fall OF the gavel
p Senator owen began a hlibuster TO
compel the inclusion OF Arizona in
p the resolution pending for the ad.
! mission of New Mexico as a state. 40
I that time conference reports on four
? appropriations bills were pending and
4 every moment was OF value Finally
he accepted compromise OF a vote
. on the resolution so amended, and
; lost out by good majority on yea
e and nay vote So. in grasplng for
}. both he lost both. At $3.50, three and
e ono.half hours before FINAL adjourn.
I mont. the tariff board bin was passed
J. by vote Of 81 to %, and sent % tho
}. House for conference. There the
democrats who had voted FOR Il few
weeks before smote It hip and thigh
and by their filihustor against the re-
port compelled the republicans IA
withdraw II in order TO save the ap
9 preparation bills.
The called session Of the new con
gross convones April Fourth. the only
= purpose alleged by the president in
! his proclamation being the passing oil
4 Tho Canadian tariff hill Navarthnipo,