New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-22
THE FRUIT or THE SESSION.

The record Of the first session OF
the sd Congress has been one of more
activity than accomplishment. The new
Congress was called together primarily
for the purpose of giving legislative
sanction to the reciprocity agreement
with Canada negotiated by President
Taft. That public duty 1t discharged
In an admirable manner, the two
parties uniting to overcome the OBJ
stinate obstruction of few malcontents
bent on annoying and embarrassing the
President. Mr.. Taft himself frankly
acknowledged the service done by the
Democratic party in Congress in max
ing the approval of the Canadian agree
ment possible. The extra session of 19ll
will be memorable, therefore, chiefly for
remarkable demonstration of the power
Of public opinion working on Congress to
suppress cheap facti0nal politics and to
secure the approval Of a policy thor
Oughly national in its character and far
reaching in its practical benefits.
The Democratic majority i'm the House
Of Representatives and the Democratic
minority in the Senate did not venture
to play politics with the reciprocity COM
pact. They wisely left that TO the self
deluded insurgents. Democratic pros
poets would now be much brighter if the
Democratic leaders in both branches had
exercised self-denial enough 10 follow a
programme OF their own devising so far
IS tariff legislation was concerned and
had avoided an entangling alliance with
the insurgent Republicans. Their will
ingness TO play tail to Mr.. La FOllette's
kite up TO the last moment and then
/ break with him after apprOpriating his
work betrayed the essential insinCerity
1 OF the Democratic campaign for tariff
revision. The majority in the House Of
/ Representatives has now been committed
| TO fantastic reylsiOns Of the wool, cotton,
/ iron and steel and other schedules.
| drawn out of a grab bag. neither prOtec-
| tive nor framed for revenue purposes,
some OF them not even considered 10y the
/ House Ways and Means Committee or 10y
/ the House itself. and the climax of ire
! sponSbiIity has been reached 10y The
passage Of a socallcd Farmers Free List
! bill, al variance with any theory Of
tariff taxation over held by any political
party ia the United states and So blum
/ dtrincly drawn rs 10 be incapable Of
Intelligent construction or administra-
tion. Tho Observation-Disclosures coalition
developed great energy while il lasted,
but it's energy was lDisappIcd and de
structivC. exposing both elements in the
alliance 10 the charge Of having trifcd
with legislation affecting billions Of
capital aud The wages OF hundreds If
thousands Of workers merely for che
sake of using their power. and inviting
"a rebuke for their friyolity from the
President
Trying 10 cIlbarraSs Mr.. Taft, the
Democrats and insurgents have only
played into his hands. The country sees
now that he alone has stood courageous
ly in the way of the freak legislation
which they were ready 10 put on The
statute book. lie has displayed a Sc
robustness and Il sense Of responsibility in
dealing with tho tariff which they have
utterly lacked. Ills plan for revising The
schedules Is rational and practlcal-one
which Congress itself Endorsed by large
ma iorities before it fell victim once
more to the overnight method of making
schedules. Mr.. Underwood and Mr.. La
Toilette never committed greater polit-
zeal blunder than when they light
EcJricdly contraStcd their attitude tow
ard the tariff with President 1'aft's.
The voters. even those who feel thai
downward revision Is desirable and will
he found to be advisable. are almost
unanimous in appraising the coalition
leaders in Congress rs charlatans and
the President ~ Il statesman.
Both in what it did and what Il failed
10 do-incudius It's prcdpitate back
down on the judicial rccall-Congrcss
has added enormously 10 the prestige Of
the Taft administration