Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-03-10
NEW COMPRESS

WIN tne iOurtn oil March came the enc
of the Sixty-first Congress President Taft
called an extra session of the new Congress:
for the fourth of April The Democrats
will be in the majority in the lower House
and exceeded by a small number of Re.
publicans in the Senate. 1t is Surmised
that the Democrats may be assisted by the
lnsurgent Republicans in such measures as
may come up for passage 1t is also sup
posed that the session will be short one.
The passage of the reciprocity agree
ment, and the further passage of separate
bills pruning two or three of the more
glaringly outrageous of the Payne Aldrich
schedule, is all that can be expected of the
party at this special session, forced on it
by the President solely for the purpose of
ratifyine the Canadian reciprocity agree
ment
The regular session of the Sixty-first
Congress convened on December 6, 1909
1t enacted into law the new Railroad Rate
bill, giving the commission power to sus-
pend rates, though so changed by Insur-
gent and Democratic votes as to make it
very different law from that originally
proposed by the President; established the
Court of Commerce; created new Bureau
OF Mines; established an experimental
system Of postal banks authorized the
withdrawal of public lands so as to pre-
serve water-powers; provided for the ad-
mission of Arizona and New Mexico as
States; authorized the issue of $20,000.-
900 bonds to complete Western irrigation
projects; passed bills to break up the
white slave" traffic; enacted a rather
unsatisfactory campaign publicity bill, pro-
viding for the publication of contributions
after elections only, and provided for the ex-
penditure of $28,000,000 in public build
ings. The regular session adjourned on
June rs, 1910.
The closing session began on December
5. 1910, with the Republicans badly dis
organized, the Democrats flushed with the
victory of the November elections. The
efforts Of the Republican leaders to heal
the breach between the Regulars and In
surgents failed completely. On one issue
after another the party was hopelessly di-
vided. The most important measures urged
by the Administration creation of a
permanent tariff commission and recipro-
city with Canada-were the very things
opposed by the old-line Republicans, who
regarded them as blow at the policy of
protection and the high tariff which has
been the bulwark of the party for forty
years. The positive results of the short
session" are included in the decision that
the Panama Canal is to be fortified the
creation of forest reserves in the Southern
Appalachians and the White Mountains :;
establishing the policy of ownership of
embassy and legation buildings in foreign
capitals requiring the inspection of loco
motive boilers, and the final adoption of
the new Judiciary Code. The prompt rati-
fication of the new treaty with Japan was
diplomatic triumph for the Administra-
ton.
The record Of failure is long and sug-
gestive The Canadian Reciprocity Agree
ment was put through the House by Demo-
cratic votes, while the Republican opposi-
ton in the Senate was so strong that it
was not even allowed to come to vote.
The old-line Republicans rejoice with the
Democrats in the defeat of the Taft Tariff
Board bill. The resolution looking to direct
election of Senators. though receiving a
substantial majority, failed to secure the
two-thirds necessary for its adoption. Ship
subsidy passing the Senate only by the
vote of the Vice-President, failed in the
House. The resolution to accept the Con-
stitution of New Mexico was killed in the
Senate by filibuster by the champions of
Arizona. The plan of Postmaster General
Hitchcock to increase the postage on maya
zines was fiascO that is likely to haunt
the Taft administration for many a day.