The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-12-29

1t Will be 0Dllged to close SnOp. EV-
erybody connected with legislation
has one but kind words to say Of
the little shepherds who herd their
flocks. The wool on the back of
Mary's little lamb, and all the other
sheep is a matter o. sintense concern
to every statesman holding a COM
mission from the American voters,
and since the Democratic represen-
t~atives. and the progressive Repub-
licans of both houses of congress re-
fuse absolutely to accept the position
of the president and the tariff board
which it champions, the prospect of
legislation that will pass Congress
and escape a presidential veto, is very
remote. Everyone has been taking
kicks at schedule X since it went in
to the Payne-Aldrich bill, but just
how there is going to be brought
about a revision downward" such
as everyone seems to desire, is any
thing but clear, since there are about
four different elements in Congress
all hauling in different directions,
with a goodly portion of the whole
number willing to accept mostly any
kind of a final compromise to put
President Taft in a hole before the
opening of the campaign next spring.
Congress has adjourned for the
holiday vacation, having accomplished
during its short career of the sixty
second session another long step in
the direction of pension legislation.
The census department, which is de-
cidedly unpopular among statesmen,
was the cause of no small amount of
controversy as to granting sufficient
appropriations. The director asked
for a million dollars, but got only
a portion of the amount. The dis
position to "play politics" crept out
in many ways, the most striking il
lustration from the Washington view
point being the manner in which po-
litical capital was manufactured in
the matter of abrogating the treaty
with Russia. All parts of the coun-
try are deluging Washington with
inquiries as to what Congress pro-
poses to do with many phases of leg
~islation, and the answer invariably
is that no one here knows. There is
intense interest in the peace treaties,
and it will not be at all strange if
the demand of the country would be
sufficient to enable the president to
compel the naughty United States
Senate to back up, and take the long
step forward that has been proposed
in the matter of universal peace.
Edward Hines, the Chicago lum-
herman, who is generally accredited
with being the man who put further
testimony before the investigating
committee during the past week, and
excited attention by resenting ques-
tions that appeared to reflect upon
his ~veracity, and most extraordinary
the public and the newspapers all
seemed, eager to lend their sympathy
to the one man, who il there was
| onrrrr nfi0n in Tho 7 Nvipnnr ooCn ic
looked upon as the instigator of it
all. Or in other words the investi-
cation appears to have settled upon
Hines, and if he is found guilty Lor-
inner is to suffer. Shrotly after the
holidays the Senate itself will take
up the Lorimer matter, and specula-
tion is whether the Illinois senator
will stay or go.
Not content with investigating the
steel and sugar trusts, the Democrat
ic House seems entirely serious in
contemplating taking up the sugges-
ton of Mr.. Linburg of Minnesota,
who demands that the money trust"
including Wall street, be made the
subject of a sweeping inquiry. So far
it is clear that the numerous investi-
cations have not been productive, and
if the larger field of the Wall Street
houses of great and ~frenzied finance
are to be tackled, it is fair to won.
der in advance just how much the
average congressman may be able to
tell about what he finds when he
gets through.
One of the great paintings that
hangs in the capitol, and which every
visitor coming to Washington has
viewed, was slashed by a vandal a
few days ago.. The motive prompt
ing the deed has stirred the city, but
no reasonable explanation has been
forthcoming.
You'll find 1t In the Wantad
| aAJ,a~, . T~>I- g.. a. kh.