Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-13
To Reciprocity insufficient
To Offset Democrats.
Fighting Chance in Senate but
President Calling Them.
The War Scare Over and Only Sosl-
aIist Offers Criticism Of Procedure.

|
| about the whole show in the big city
| by the Potomac. And, at that, Con-
gress is doing mighty little. The
| House is getting ready to work. The
| Senate is getting ready to work. All
eyes are toward the Capitol.
There is, of course, much thought
about measures. AS a matter of fact
| Washington is greatly interested in
the men. Some forty or fifty new
| comers on the legislative stage are
under scrutiny. The Democrats, who
! have manned the House organization,
will be the targets Of observing folks.
| 1t is always interesting to note how
men in new posts Of moment conduct
| themselves. That is always feature
of a new administration of the gen.
| eral government. In a smaller way,
| to be sure, it is true also of the House
| of Representatives under the new re-
! gime.
Speaker Champ Clark heads the list
of interesting notables, as he tries
to get accustomed to sitting high up
on the marble rostrum. His lieuten-
ants and leaders down upon the floor
are trying to look and act as though
they were used to it. They are not,
as everybody who has been much
around the Capital, can see, but give
'em time. They may be uncomfortable
under their responsibilities but are en-.
titled to have chance.
When it comes to interesting new
men who absorb the attention of
| Washington, and, to some extent also
of the country, there is the Senate
with nearly Il score of brand new
| senator's Every one of them must be
placed, before adequate estimates and
correct opinions about the course of
the senate in given matter can be
! had. 1t takes time to look over and
size up such an impressive aggre-
cation of men, most of whom do not
| themselves know their own attitude
toward the public business coming to
them for determination. The Presi-
dent has had his eye upon these in
coming law makers and in few days
will have every new senator as a din
ner guest at the White House. All
the new Senators are looking forward
to this event of the coming Saturday.
And so it is that for the present
governmental matters are much in a
formative state. While the country
ton, programs are forming. The lead
ers are deploying their forces. The
engagement will come soon enough. be
| close enough and last long enough to
satisfy the most combatative of men.
The Washington mind, it must be
admitted, is and has been more on
things political than on things legis-
lative. However, there will be legis-
lation before the Congressional shindy
is over. Here and there one hears 1t
said the Canadian reciprocity bill will
not be enacted into law. No one can
discount the tremendous opposition to
it. The same story is heard all the
way along the border states-from
Aroostook county and the State of
Maine. clear across the country to
Washington state.
Probably the reciprocity bill will
pass The administration is tremen-
dously in earnest for it. The Presi-
dent hazarded an extra session of Con-
gress to get it. The vote in the House
will be overwhelmingly in favor.
Probably all Democrats. with an occa-
sional exception, perhaps, will be for
it.
Some think that the reciprocity bill
will now be rushed through the House
early, the Democrats after much
backing and filing and many worries
having concluded that early action
would be good politics. But there will
be much ruction in the Senate before
the last word has been said and the
vote on reciprocity is reached. Uncle
| Nose Clapp, the ponderous Minne-
sofa insurgent, declares that he and
some of his senatorial friends will
! never permit such a bill to become
! law, but it is difficult to understand
! how Uncle Nose and his friends
1 can stop il.
| The President is already moving up
on the recalcitrant Republicans He
is asking them around to the White
House offices and talking about the
| situations. He does not want the
! Democrats to get the credit for enact
ing the Canadian reciprocity agree
ment. Notwithstanding the fact that
lot of Republicans in Congress wish
| the Democrats could be given all the
i responsibility for the enactment with
people in some localities along the
border states. And the President is
making converts here and there. He
the period of reciprocity debate in the
Senate will be curtailed as much as
possible. And yet there will be plenty
for the Senate to talk about this sum-
mer and autumn. long after reciprocity
has been disposed Of
President Taft seems to have bottled
up the expected criticism of the army
maneuvers on the Texas border. A
deep rumbling sound, just before the
extra session convened. was supposed
to portend loud explosion when La
Toilette ct al had an opportunity to
get into action. The President has
shown considerable diplomacy, how
ever. in ataying Off this criticism and
it was ieft for the Socialist member Of
the House. Representative Victor
Berger. Sts Milwaukee. to steal the
deqtc0utiesee co page fiyel.