Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-09-07
PARTY HAS DONE WELL
DEMOCRATS HAVE REASON TO BE
PROUD OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Progressive Legislation to the Credit
Of the Congressional Session Just
Ended-country May Be De-
pended Upon for Approval.


In the tariff session of 1909 the Star
had frequent occasion to criticize the
Democratic minority in congress for
its lack Of earnestness in working for
revision downward. and even tor
blocking such revision. /,
AS an Independent newspaper the
Star now records its conviction that
In the session just ending the Demo
cratic congressional organization has
shown itself alert, intelligent and sim
cere in promoting progressive meas
ures. !
The good record began last wintarl
when the Democratic leaders of the
house called a caucus Of members
elect to agree on a program for the
next session. 1t would have been easy
to wait until the new congress should .
assemble before perfecting the or
ganization. That would have involved
long delay in framing bills. AS a rel
suit of the grasp of the situation by
,such men as Champ Clark and Oscar
Underwood, all the preliminary work
was out of the way when the specially
session convened, and it was able tot
get down to business at once. That
was an excellent beginning. .
In passing the reciprocity bill with
out amendments the Democratic con-
gressmen resisted tempting opportuni-
ties to play politics, and worked sim
cerely for what they believed to be the
country's best interests. They might
have sought to make political capital
out of reciprocity. That they did mott
except in the broad way Of helping,
the party by helping the country.
went far to win them public esteem.
Three big achievements for revision
downward r put to their credit I'M
the wool bill, the farmers free list
bill and the cotton bill. !
Each one of these measures promise
ed the country relief from tariff exac-
tons. Each one of them was a sim
cere effort to remedy glazing evils
Each one of them was blocked-mosti
mistakenly and most unfortunately,
by the president.
In the case Of the cotton bill a.
group of reactionary Democrats-forl
there is a r~eactionary Democratic fac,
ton in both house and senate-by
what they considered a smart" trick,
disrupted the progressive alliance in
the senate. But with the wool bill
and the farmers free list bill the,
Democrats showed themselves emil
nently practical and sincere.
The situation was difficult. The
house was Democratic, the senate Re-
publican. The only hope for tariff
legislation lay in a progressive alli-
ance in the senate. But there were
vital differences between the progress
sive Democrats and the progressive
Republicans as to the principles on
which revision should proceed. The
only thing they agreed on vas that
duties were too high. I.
1t would have been easy for small
politicians to insist uncompromisinglyl
on having their way, when they knew
they could not get 1t. The session.
might readily have degenerated into
an attempt on the part of the house
Democrats to "put the Republicans in
a hole" by putting up bills to the SEN
ate and standing pat.
That they did not do this, that they
were ready to compromise SO that re-
lief legislation could be enacted,
showed capacity of a high order and
greatly increased popular confidence
in Democratic leadership.
The campaign publicity bill, a bill
with claws and. teeth, is another
achievement that must be set down
to the credit of a congress one branch
of which is controlled by Democrats.
It is simple truth to say that the
record of the special session has enor-
mously strengthened the confidence Of
independent voters in the capacity Of
the Democratic party as represented
In congress.
On the strength of this record with
a strong presidential candidate the,
party would make a powerful appeal
to the nation next year.-Kansas City
Star.