Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-04-21
Washington News.


way in which the Democrats In Cor
gress are going about the work of put
ting through Democratic legislation.
II took few days after the organiza.
ton Of the Houss to get the wheels of
Legislation started, hut once In motion
they have been grinding pretty stead
lily and some Democratic Ideas are be-
ing put into law.
The frat thing the House, with it's
Democratic majority, did after it got
started to work was to pass the reso-
.Iuticn providing for the election of
Senator's by direct vote OF the people.
fhe Democratic members of Congress
from West Virginia all voted for tn.
resolution except Representative Ham
ilton, who had obtained leave of alb
sence for few days to attend to some
important business He would have
voted for tile measure aud was paired
with Republican who would have
voted against it, SO his absence did not
affect the matter in any way. The
vote was 2s6 to 1916.
The resolution is expected to pass
the Senate, srand West virginla's sena-
tors will assist IN passing 1t. AT the
last session, when similar resolution
was voted down by the Senate, Sena-
tor Watson, who was then in the Sen
ate, voted for the resolution. He had
already declared himself in favor Of
the election OF Senatorsb by direct vote
of the people, 80 that his vote was ex-
pected. He has not changed his mind
since the vote was taken IN February.
and when it comes to vote In the
Senate again his vote will be cast as it
was before.
Senator Chiffon has declared him
SELF in favor Of the direct election OF
Senators and his vote will be given TO
to the resolution. This will be a gain
over the vote of the last session, as
Senator Scott, whom Senator Chiffon
succeeds, voted against the resolution
at the last sssion.
The next measure the Democrats of
the House took up, after the resolution
for direct election of Senators, was
bill requiring publicity of campaign
contributions before elections, Repre-
sentative Gaines, Of Charleston, who
was chairman of the committee on
election Of president, vice president
and Representatives in Congress dur
ing the last few years, opposed this
measure consistently and it was only
after strong pressure had been brought
/ to bear and under threats from the
House that he permitted his commit
tee to report a bill for any kind Of
campaign publicity. This bill provided
for the publicity after instead of before
the election, and was not at all salts
factory to the Democrats who want
the public to know who puts up the
money for the candidates before the
votes are cast. The bill which has
passed the House, if it passes the Sen
ate, will accomplish this, aud 1t is con-
fidently expected the Senate will pass
it. II it does not, it will be the Replb-
lican majority which will defeat it.
1t is con ceded on all sides-even by
Republicans who hoped the Democrats
would make fools of Demonstrating
the Democratic majority in the House
is acting wisely end making splen-
did party record. Almost every matter
which can come before the House ca a.
Gus has been decided almost unani-
n.ously. All the votes taken in the
House have been almost unanimous SO
far as the Democrats are concerned,
and harmony and unanimity seem to
be the guiding forces of the Demo-
crazy.
In the Senate the situation is almost
the same. There has been more or less
talk of lack OF harmony in the Sen :
ate because there was contest over
the leadership of the Democratic eau
Gus. But in as much as the leader OF
minority in the Sena Ex-senator Mar
tin, of Virginia-was first proposed
by the most ardent supporters
Of William j. Bryan In the Senate,
and was for a time the unanimous
choice of the Dem ocrats in the Senate,
there can hardly be said to be lack OF
harmony because, owing to the per-
sonal preference of Mr.. Bryan, an
other Senator was brought out as a
candidate and defeated.
The fact is that in both the House
and the Senate the Democrats are
showing capacity to govern wisely
and we'll, which surprises the Repub-
leans, whose stock argument for years
has been that the Democrats are not
competent to rule. They are being
shown a few things by the Democrats
VINO were put into power by those who
considered them far more able to gov