The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-05-17
By Ernest G.. Walker.


(Mail Special to The Advertiser.)
WASHINGTON, May 3.-Vote catch
ers man the legislative rampa-ts nu
merously at Washington. That means
Democratic vote catchers in the Demo-
cratic house Of representatives. When
the record is made up, it will include
one long series of tremendous Demo
cratic grasping after popular support,
from the moment that the memorable
landslide of 1910 was loosed. A coterie
of fine experts at this business seems to
have developed IN the lower legislative
branch. And their following on the
majority side of the chamber is some
thing superb to behold.
Turn back the wheel little, and you
will recall the very first coup Gas it
was supposed to be), which the Demo
Gratis executed last December before
Christmas, at the first regular session.
That was the $75,OOO,OOO pension in
crease, which put hundreds of thousands
of Civil War veterans into ecstasies.
The Democrats (aided by many Repub-
licans) voted that enormous grab
through without wincing, appealed
proudly to the country for approval,
and got it-as far as the old soldiers
and their progeny are concerned.
Speaker Champ Clark, now Il leading
candidate for the presidency, took great
pains to emphasize that he was for the
pension grab.
But that was only a Democratic be-
ginning One tariff revision bill after
another has been shrewdly shaped as
campaign material The free sugar bill
was the climax. No matter that Demo-
Gratis knew it could never become law,
any more than their great pension bill
could. Democrats would get the credit
with the mighty multItudes of unthink-
ing Americans, who express approval
of the government only to the extent
that it means some financial advantage
to them. In due season they also en-
acted an eight hour bill, which the la
Dor unions have been clamoring for for
l many years. That, like the pension bill
and the tariff revision bills, has gone
: on its way to the Republican senate,
where there are prospects ahead of en-.
actments and compromises. An anti
injunction bill is supposed to be coming
, An investigation Of the money trust .
has arrived, with Attorney Samuel I'm,
termeyer in charge, to the CONSERVATION
of the New York bankers.
Vote Catching Plan.
From one vote catching proposition
to another the house Democrats have
proceeded, passing each slong to tn,
:. senate. The latest is for ive-yea9 term
for some $4,000 government clerks il
the federal service at Washington. L
t has made the Capital by the Potomac
a city of resounding protest, to which
e however, the rest of the country will
pay comparatively little attention
n There is in the proposal an elemen
Il which will catch the professional politi
o clans of the Democratic party and en-
C courage enthusiasm among the workers
c, There is enough of Justice in the pla
to meet with the approval of grea
many people, to whom the clerical sa'
aries of from $1,000 to $4,000 whic
the government pays at Washington
|
ly are.
y But the vote catching Democrati
|, house has enacted some remarkabl
- good roads legislation. The essentIa
ly selfish demand that the federal go'
ernmment build the roads based upo
the hope or conviction that many loci
IN communities might escape some shal
N. of the cost, has been given its FIR
IS large recognition. The house by q
overwhelming majority has gone on re
ny ord for graduated system of paymen
tn on a mileage basis, wherever the pos
,e- Office department has rural free d
u+ livery wagons moving. How that d
ng lights the farmers IN many n commu
,H ity, who believe that such rich al
ar populous States as New York and Ma
be saehusetts will thus be compelled {
I'd this good roads provision become Law
in to help build highways in Mississippi
os. Nebraska and other less prosporo
be commonwealth, And the farmer vo
he in many States can be counted up,
nh to come out strongly for that provisi,
as and for the Democratic party, wheth
the senate, in its wisdom, assents or nj
- Postal Power
!. The army of postal employees becai
ed some years ago a tremendous polite
Il factor. The country hears a great 4,
A. about the postmaster and what 1000
of him, more or less, can do in par
oy san machine organization, 1t is
Is raj proposition. But there are more
ter carriers and postal clerks of variC