Saint Mary's beacon., 1911-05-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., May IL. 1911.
By CLYDE III. TAvEvyER.

IAFT a hSTAGOSIZES PROGRESsIVEs
President Taft took the leading
part in the fight against giving the
progressive epublIcans OF the
Senate the committee places they
demanded, "hich fight resulted in
leaving all the big Senate committees
the same citadels Of specials privil-
ege that they were in the previous
Congress.
Before the republican caucus was
held the regular republicans OF the
Senate signed an agreement by
which they agreed to give the pro-
gressives one fourth representa-
tiOn on all the committees. Senator
PenrOse, who signed the agreement
for the regulars is said TO have bit
terly arraigned his regular collea-
CUES for putting him in the position
OF breaking his political word.
which no declared he had always
especially prded himself upon keep
ing InviOlate.
IL now develops that Penrose s
breach Of faith with the progress
sives was forced by White House
pressure. President Taft consid-
ers progressives like La Folietts
his persOnel enemies, and he does
not want them in a position to as
slst IN bringing about the passage
oil legislation like the farmers free
list bl'I, which they could do by
combining with the democrats II
given the representation OF the big
committees to which their numeri-
cal strength entities them.
SCHEDULE TX" Is NEXT.
Schedule X, the Joker filled wool
schedule OF the Payne Aldrich tar
ID law, will be the subject of the
first general tariff revision OF the
Democratic house
All the j)kers by which rates
have been piled one upon another
until the total has been far in excess
OF 100 per cent. are TO be abolished
Likewise there will be abolished
the Infamous provisions of the
Payne AIdrich law, by which ma
terial containing wool, but really
made OF cotton. is taxed as wool.
me average reduction on all items
in the woolen schedule is expected
to reach at least % per cent.
What the Democrats propose will
cause a tremendous outcry from the
WOODEN trust and its allies, the pro-
ducerS OF raw wool, and will
no doubt provoke men like Warren
o. Wyoming, Lippett OF Rhode Is
land and the other high protection
ISIS OF the senate into predicting the
downfall Of the nation.
WIcKERsHAM Is WORRIED.
Urited States Attorney General
Wlckersham is worrying. He is
afraid the Investigations to be made
INTO the affairs OF the steel trust.
sugar trust, shoe trust and woolen
trust will gives these concerns i'm
munIty from prosecution. AS all of
these concerns. with the exception
uf few SIS week employs es OF the
sugar trust, have enjoyed absolutely
immunity from prosecution and in
veStigation since the day Mr.. Wick.
ersham left the service OF the sugar
trust 10 become the chief prosecut-
ing officer OF the government, il is
difficult to understand how the i'm
muni'y which they might receive.
but will not, through congressional
Investigations. could be any more
complete than the immunity Mr..
Wickersham has given them.
Should BE INTERESTING
The inquiry to be made by the
House Of Representatives into the
political machine of Postmaster Cen.
eral Frank Hitchcock is one in which
the whole country will be interest
ed. The resolution OF fnuuirv di-
reefs the poStoffice committee to de-
termine how much political work
is performed by postmasters and
subordinate officers in the postoffices
OF the country, and by what autho.
rlty they neglect their official duties
and violate the civil service law.
IL has long been charged that
through postoffice department pa.
tronage the postmaster general has
established a machine for the CON.
troll OF delegates to the national con-
vention.