The Washington herald., 1911-12-31

or own the trusts tnrouSh trIists
mental measures, OF in through the
1 1ontIoi % SDoriai privilege? Nearly all
Of the other questions up loL Sn0Dnlar
reciprocity, tariff REVISION. - and
diSsoIItion DEGREES. railroad rate ue-
Cisions, conservation, monetary aric a
labor legislation and control Oh ptnCCS
of necessities-are seen to have SUI
sidiary relation to that supreme issue
1t is so recognized in the pupllC 90
ments of the spokesman OF the oIo pa
ties, the divergence oe f 90 TpSTi of the
trusts, proposed by them so as 70 aH Oi ~
fhe Socialist horn of a dilemma brought
nearer by Socialist gains throughout
the country
Taft's Reciprocity Move
The administration had already made
its motion for Canadian reciprocity
when the Republican congress sol
down TO it's final sessions work in Jan
uary. Party lines CrissCrossed on TINS
issue at once. Although the reciprocity
bill found support on the Democratic
side and passed the house. February H.
22l to -, all but five of the Democrats
and the insurgents being for il and
majority of the RepubliCans against II,
the measure was put to sleep IN the
senate by coalition of Republican IN
surgents and regular Republicans, from
different motives. The former, though
charged by d large section of the press
with inconsistency, said that it was
sham reciprocity, which would hurt
American farmers and would benefit
only certain trusts, not the ultimate
consumer. Republicans feared 1t as
break in the protection wall.
Directly connected with the failure OF
reciprocity in the old congress was the
contest about creating tariff commits
sion. The bill passed by the house Re
publicans in January made the board
responsible only to the president. The
senate insurgents finally, on the last
day, got this through amended 50 that
the commission would report to con-
Eress. But it failed in a house hli
buster started by Democrats.
Direct Senators, Almost
One of the longest and bitterest fights
of the session was made in the senate
on the bill for direct election of SEN
Rtors, il being the first time this meas
ure ever got beyond the committee
stage. Borah was its champion and
its main support came from the imSurg
ents and Democrats. The progress of
public opinion Oh this issue was
evinced by the fact that the final vote
lacked only four of the necessary two
thirds majority for the submission of
constitutional amendment. Its failure
was attributed to the sutherland
amendment, giving to congress control
OF the election, and thereby alternating
southern senators.
Intense interest marked the closing OF
me first contest over the seating of Sena-
lO- LOTimeT in February, the vote, 10
20 80, being regarded as test of political
progress or reaction. Again it was the
WhO seated LOrimer
Even closer was the vote on that per-
IlStent proposition. the subsidy bilI-a tie,
which Vice President sherman decided
Cor the measure. But it never got by the
house. ON the other hand, the house
passed a bill for a general service pension
dip into the treasury. The senate Scotched
that. The administration lost out in it's
demand for higher postal rate on
magazines, but got an investigation au-
Ihorized. Congress voted the Panama
ENnOSifinn n
Orleans being the defeated rival city. The
Ale Sheny forest reserve plan, pigeonholed
By former congresses, was enacted under
progressive pressure. The lawmakers de-
Uided 10 have the Panama canal fortified
and to pay off the war claims The Crum-
packer bill for the house reappOrtionment
Oh basis of 453 seats in 1913 was passed
New Congress; Extra Session
Having failed to get his own party to
pull together on the reciprocity idea
President Taft proceeded 10 make good
his promise to the Canadian government
by calling the new Democratic congress,
the siXty-secOnd. into extra session April
& and by laying before it the reciprocity
measure.
The Democrats came to the bat as the
majority party with splendid burst of
team work under the leadership of Champ
Clark who was chosen speaker assisted
by Underwood, at the head of the ways
prations: Burleson, Stanley and other
committee heads. The Republicans, for
the first time in sixteen years in the
minority. chose Mann, of Illinois, as their
floor leader. Cooper of Wisconsin, was
the recognized leader of the lnsurgent
group.
For the first time the Socialist party
was represented in congress in the lusty
German-AmeriCan figure of Victor Berger
Of Milwaukee. Later he advanced several
radical measures. chief of which was
the proposal 10 pension aged workers for
life when found deserving. Later he
proposed the abolition Of the senate
woman suffrage, reform Of supreme court
and government ownership of public utili-
lies.
Power Passes From Speaker
For the first time in it's history the
minority making its own choice, and the
power OF the speaker passed to the ma
iority members of the enlarged commit
tee on rules, of which Underwood was the
head.
Democratic team work was shown in
the agreement to cut down the house
salary bill, in the passage OF a campaign
publicity and direct election senatorial
bills and in its prompt forcing OF the Taft
reciprocity bills through, 90 to SO. 1t was
during this discussion that Speaker Clark
set the Canadians by the ears by his pre-
dicuon OF the ultimate annexation of Can
ada to the United States. This reciprocity
measure did not pass the senate till July
p. when coalition of 30 Democrats and
q progresSives overCame a ma jority of the
Republicans and five Democrats Presi-
10 the, Democrats after signing the reci-
prccity bill July 8
But the Democratic majority was deter
mined to enact tariff bills. First 1t
brought forth the farmers free list bill
which passed the house May s. 236 to l09
Further the house majority passed its