The Washington herald., 1911-08-23

The extra session Of Congress has
written four important measure into
the statute books. Here they are:
Reciprocity with Canada.
Campaign publicity law. ~ ..
Reapportionment on a basis of 433
members for the House.
Statehood for Arizona and New Mex
ico
There has been q disposition in many
qarters to characterize the extra ses-
sion as futile and barren except for
Canadian reciprocity. Such view Is
entirely erroneous. The publicity law
in itself Is an enactment more far
reaching, in its effects than the most
hopeful Of its supporters had expected
to obtain 1t applies publicity not only
to elections to the House of Represen-
tatives, but also to elections to the
United States Senate. Furthermore, It
fixes q definite limit which candidates
for either the House or the Senate may
spend in seeking the goals of their
smbition-S5.o00 for the former and
$4,000 for the latter. 1t extends pub
licity from the general to the primary
elections. and all told is about as dras-
acter as could be conceived.
The passage Of the Statehood resolu-
ton Is another legislative achievement
far above the ordinary. The action Of
Congress in special session on this ques-
ton was the elimination Of a fight that
has extended over a quarter OF cen
tury, and which on several occasions has
IL A,,x ,lyy
to be lost in each instance until now by
fresh complications. Oldtimers in Con-
gress are recalling that New Mexico was
on the very verge Of becoming State
even as far back as the days when the
late Stephen B. Elkins was a DELEGATE in
Congress from that Territory. The Sem
ate had passed resolution admitting the
Territory to the Union and wheels had
all been creased in the House. Appar-
emily everything was oven but the SHOUT
ing. but just about this time the Hon.
Julius Caesar Burrows, then a Repre-
sentative In Congress from Michigan.
arose and delivered a bitter attack upon
the Democrats. Stephen B. Elkins. who
was engineering the New Mexico State
hood resolution. thoughtlessly walked
over and shook Mr.. Burrows hand in
congratulation. Whereupon. the Demo
Gratis all turned against Elkins and voted
down Statehood. Thus the proposition
was lost at that time by a handshake.
and this Is only one Of the many in
teresting incidents in the history Of the
efforts which have eliminated success
fully in the session just ended.
The special session Of Congress which
came to an end yesterday brought forth
T,ls5 seperate bills. OF this number
1905 were introduced in the House and
3.2s7 in the Senate, thus indicating
plainly enough the superior activity OF
the new political control into which the
House has fallen. In addition to this
big grist Of bills. 15s joint resolutions
were introduced in the House and fifty
seven in the Senate.
1t was, however, the political aspect
Of the dying session that was the most
interesting and which affords the
widest range Of speculation. Every ses-
sion of Congress Is more or less game
Of politics, but the one which adjourned
yesterday bore the earmarks more plain
ly than the average session. The DEM
ocrats in the House started out with
the sole ambition of making political
capital Of the opportunity which Provi-
dence and a disorganized Republican
party had thrust upon them, and they
have succeeded pretty we'll The Re-
looked upon the opening of the extra
session as an opportunity to advance
their personal fortunes AT the expense
of the Republican organization. Put
Taft In a hole was the cry Of both
the Democrats and the insurgents from
the very beginning of the special session.
and that was the purpose that animated
them throughout the tedious six months
Of legislative effort
The House Democrats come out Of the
fray with practically a united front as
they entered it, and it is in this evidence
OF cohesiveness-this demonstrated ability
to get together and bury petty differences
that Dmeocrats find the greatest en-
couragement. 1t is something new in
Democratic experience of recent years.
The Democrats regarded it as good poll
tice to support President Tafts reci-
procity treaty as a separate proposition,
and after it was out of the way they
directed their efforts to put
ting tariff legislation up to him The
Democrats, aided by La Toilette and his
band, have succeeded in putting a wool
revision bill, a cotton revision bill.
farmers free list bill, and revisions of the
iron and steel and chemical schedules up
to Mr.. Taft. The President has promptly
vetoed all or these, taxing a Dr0ad StanQ
that the tariff legislation of the future
must be lifted out of politics and based
on scientific data furnished by the tariff
board.
The Democrats are leaving Washington
very much elated over their tariff re-
vision record and exceedingly hopeful of
the campaign material that 1t will afford
against President Taft and the Republi-
can organization. There is, however, one
ay In the Democratic ointment The
Democrats in order to get their tariff
bills, especially the wool measure. up to
President Taft had to commit themselves
10 a protective programme. Heretofore,
tariff for revenue only has been the
gospel preached by the Democratic lead
ers, but Representative Underwood and
his House organization in the case of the
wool bill frankly accepted a protective
measure on the ground that 1t represent
ID a reduction from the present Payne
Aldrich law, and was the greatest meas
ire Of relief that they could get from
heir combination with the Senate insur-
gents part Of loaf was better than
none at all was their argument on which