The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-02-24
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
tFrom our Regular correspondent.)
Washington. February 20. 1911.

/ Washington, February 20, 1911.
The week in Congress has been of great
interest and importance in legislative
matters. The House has passed the
Canadian Reciprocity Bill by large ma
jority and il is predicted that the bill will
pass the Senate. 1t will not. however,
have smooth sailing and if it were not for
the impression that the President will call
an extra session of Congress almost inn
medately after the 4th of March, pro-
vided the Senate does not vote on the
Reciprocity Bill, it is doubtful if a vote
could he had before the 4th of March If
the bill comes 10 a vote, there is but little
doubt that it will be passed, because
majority in favor of the bill in the Senate
is conceded, but owing to parliamentary
usage in the Senate, there can be limit
less debate, and the upper house has
some lmitless debaters who are quite
capable of talking the bill into the next
session.
The opinion in regard to President Taft
as a politician and a statesman has risen
considerably since the beginning of the
present session. 1t is conceded that he
is in the main master of the situation and
when reciprocity with Canada is estab-
lshed, as the better minds of the country
think it will be, there is prospect OF recip-
rocal trade relations between the United
States and Mexico and with the Central
and South American republics. With
these ends accomplished close on to the
completion of the Panama Canal, the adj
ministration is sure to finish with eclat, il
not with another term for President Taft.
1t is something more than opportune
that the exposure of the great lumber
trt1c the haaIc fNf
procity with Canada and the proposed
free importation of lumber from that
country. The Bureau of Corporations
has Just furnished the Information that
forty years ago IS per cent. of the timber
of the country was owned by the govern
ment, but at present SO per cent. of 1t is
owned by private persons 1t is appar-
ent that the United States must conserve
with greatest care the small remaining
supply of timber and further, it must, if
possible, scotch the trust that is mOnopo-
lizing with a view to increasing still
further the exhorbitant cost of such timber
as is not at present under their control.
President Taft has issued proclama-
| ton, not as President of the United
States, but as President Of the Red Cross
Society, asking contributions for the relief
of the famine-stricken region in China.
John ID. Rockefeller has contributed
$1,000 and there have been many contri-
buttons from other sources and charitable
people are also contributing food stuffs
and clothing which will be sent by U. s.
transport to Shanghai and thence up the
Yangtsekiang River where millions Of
Chinese inhabitants are in dire distress.
1t is said they are selling their children
for food. This, however, is no particular
measure Of their suffering because it is
common with the Chinese in that part of
the world to kill or sell their daughters.
The selling of daughters. however, is not
confined to the Chinese. 1t goes on with
more or less observation in all the hot
beds of Christian civilization. We are
spending millions annually in China for
the conversion of those people while our
exclusion laws keep them from the
United States. That is practically telling
them that they are good enough for
heaven, but not good enough for this
country. They are an amiable, temperate,
industrious people. Their country is
greatly over-populated and it is not their
fault that they are not able to get enough
to eat.