The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-08-04
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON
Current News of the Week and Events
Of Importance i'm Which
Idaho Figures
Especial to the Republicanl

NoPOSAoi " ~ lNCpuUllCoh)
Washington, D. c., July 31.-Th
passage of the Canadian reciprocit
bill by the Senate accomplishes tn
purpose for which President Taft, O.
0 the 4th OF March, ordered a specia
= session of Congress. This specia
session convened April 4th, and afte
3 II days debate the house passe
Canadian reciprocity by a vote O
: 1887 for and SO against. There wer'
. 80 members recorded as not voting
while three others answered ''pre
sent The senate had the bill from
April FL until July %, on which da,
1t vas disposed OF, the vote in tina
body being SO for and q against
The Canadian reciprocity pact wa,
distinctly a Taft proposition, ant
was opposed by influential member.
OF his W party, and had it not beer
for the aid received from the Demo.
Gratis, and by their votes in the house
and in The senate, the measure would
not have become a law. In the case
OF many state delegations there seems
TO be no way of analysing the vote
OF the two houses. The political ex-
agencies affecting Republican ''regu-
lars and "progress1ves' do not ap-
pear to furnish the usual explana-
ton. Throughout the border states
a large number of representatives of
the Republican party opposed the
measure in the theory that it vas
detrimental to the farmers. On the
other hand, Democratic members
from the same locality as arrule sup
ported the pact. In some cases the
delegations in the states acted as =
mutt, but the wife Of the two houses
shows that eve in adjoining states,
where the conditions we're practically
identical, the members of congress
applied different methods of reason
ing. In the case Of frdaho senators
Hepburn and Borah and representa-
tive French voted against reciprocity.
Congressman French of Idaho in
troduced a bill of rar-reaching i'm
p%ortance respecting the matter of
public highways throughout the ma
ton. His bill calls for an annual APP
preparation of twenty millions of dol
lars for a period of five years com
mencing with 1913. The sums of
money thus appropriated are to be
available for building new highways
throughout the coulkry, and the sums
apportioned to each state are to be
when the state and county
each provided an equal mou of
in which roads are constructed have
the government allotment to the diff
ferent localities. The bill further
provides for a director of the office
OF public roads of the department of
who SHAH maintain sup
of the roads so built by the
FEDERAL and state governments.
Senator Borah m>ce a strong adj
dress in the senate the day before the
vote was reached On the wool bill nd
ably defended the interests of the
dustry to his state and the injury
wool growers of Idaho. He pointed
out the Importance of this great in |
that would befall the western portion !
OF the country IL the Underwood bill
was TO replace the present tariff law.
AS is always the case near the
close of congress, there is unusual
amount of speculation regarding POI
lt1cal conditions throughout the u
Try. 1t is understood that practically
all, II mot every representative in
congress, desires to still furthe- serve
me people, and where this desire is
disputed, the people will have to set
lie the question as towhether there
S a real demand" favoring the pre-
sent %incubents. Party divisions Gre
tied by such legislation as reciprocity
tariff matters, have been very
disturbing to the peace of mind of
congressman, and many of them have
Deen specializing earnestly as to how
heir position On these matters will
appeal to the voters back home"
someone has been trying to figure :
nut what the next congress is likely
o do. Upon one thing only does
seem to be any agreement Of
pinion, and that is that everybody
MI want to raise the shutters here
washington in time for the meet g
1gs or the National conventions next 8
lmmer. In the meantime there are :
lot or booms that need cultivating. :
n THIS connection most everybody o
! congress is interested. In the sen. /
te, Mr.. La Toilette is a likely can y
ldate for the presidency, while in n
house speaker Clark is seeking I
emocratic preferment. The affairs o
Inherent states involving the cleo v
on OF a new congress, are in them h
ives sufficient to hasten congress to
nlsh its labors along next June. q
18th all the tariff revision to be h
andled and reports of all the investi- a
atoms now under way, it appears n
cry likely that the next congress will 8
, a rather unusually busy and in a
resting one. I,
II the, different investigating COM O,
bittees which are looking, into all h
'rts of affairs of government, to say n
'thtng OF such matters as the Lori w
case and the probable probe to
e election of Senator Stephenson :
wisconsin, conscientiously pursue
err labors during the summer
onths, the number of congressman
no are in the habit of staying in
n ~ III SN~