Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-01-01

land that has no hlatory." vcltairo
PUT a. History Is but a picture Of
crimes and mlsfortunes" Measured
by this standard. America has enjoyed
fBirly happy year. Not but what
we have made history. but that Il has
not been OF 80 volcanic a character
% that of some Of our negihbors.
Nations are like individuals. The
most yirtuous men and women FREE
Quontiy Head uneventful lives, while
the greatest rake may have the iarg-
est number Of adventures.
with most notions 1911 has been a
history making year. out with as II
has been fairly comfortable and we'll
behaved. We have had no wars, and
leaving out Mexico and Richmond
Pearson Hebson. no rumors 81 wars. We
have passed through no elections Of
great Importance, no serious bank
failures, no Overwhelming disasters.
True. we have had lWo sessions Of COM
gress, but who can expect to escape
an miefortunes?
The chief events OF the year at
home have been the passage OF the
reciprocity treaty and the resultant ice
water thrown over us By Canada, the
passage OF the tarlff revision oils and
their veto by the president. the mo-
billzati0n % part OF our army in
Texas during the Mexican revolution,
tao supreme court decision In dissolve
ing the standard oil and tobacco
trusts. the bringing Of suit against the
steel trust and criminal prosecution OF
the heads of beef trust, the admission
60 statehood OF New Mexico and Ari-
IONA, the signing Of the arbitration
treaties with France and Great Brit
ain, the record breaking tour Of Pres
ident Taf.. the adoption OF the initia-
tive. referendum. recall and woman
suffrage by California, the assembling
OF the largest war fleet ever gathered
In American waters. the flight OF an
aeroplane across the continent the
Mcnamara trial, the creation OF three
new American cardinals, the faislng
OF the Maine and the hndlng that IL
was blown up from the outside, and
the semieentenniai OF the first Bull
Run and the Opening OF the civil war.
The Defeat q Reciprocity.
The Canadian reciprocity agreement
Was completed and presented 70 COM
gress early In the year II removed
the duties on many articles between
the two countries and reduced them
on others. Raw materials constituted
the bulk of the free list, for which rea-
son the agreement was opposed by a
large section or American farmers.
Despite the opposition from this and
other sourees the mcasure promptly
passed the house OF representatives
a.. r4ff0 AM
action TIT the adjournment OF tins
sixty-frst congress. President TAFT al
most immediately called special ses-
sion OF the Sixty-sec0nd congress, and
after months OF debate the reclproe-
lty agreement passed both bodies and
became law so far as the United states
could make is so.
In Canada the opponents or the
measure adopted obstructive tactics.
finally forcing the dissolution OF par
Lament and APPEAL TO the people In
the ensuing chhipaign the cry was
raised that reciprocity was an enter
ing wedge for the annexation OF CAM
ada by the IniAd. states, ana the Lib
oral party. THAT had championed the
measure, was declsively defeated.
The special session Of the American
congress did not stop with reciprocity,
but proceeded 70 revise several sched~
uies Of the Payne-Aldrich tariff law.
The measures passed were one revis-
Ing the wool schedule, another revis-
ing the cotton schedule and a third
known as the farmers free list bill,
which sought to make up for some Of
the Inequalities claimed To exist IN the
reciprocity measure. All three OF these
bills were vetoed by President Taft
The direct election OF senators was
an issue in both congresses, the con-
stltutioaal amendment being defeated
by four votes ia the senate during the
Sixty-flrst congress, but passing both
houses OF the Sixty-second congress.
An amendment providing for federal
control of elections was inserted In
the senate. however, and thla WIS not
agreed 20 By the house.
The first statehood bill was vetoed
~ President Taft because OF the pro-
vision Of recall Tor Judges IN the ART
zona constitution. The measure was
then amended 81 emitting this Sec
ton. after which Il became a law.
Among the interesting features OF
tho extra session was the fact that the
speaker did not select The standing
committees, az In the past, but thei
this was left 10 the ways and means
committee. For the first time In six
teen years the Democrats had control
! OF the house and with the progressive
Republicans mustered majority N
tho senate. Champ CLARK Of Missouri
was elected speaker and Oscar W. Tn
derwood majority floor leader
Antitrust Decision.
The regular session met on Decem
Der 4. but little was done before th'
holidays. The president adopted tn
novel method Of sending IN his annua
message In sections, the FIRST relating
TO the trusts and the second to for
eign relations.
Trust investigations and court deci
sions were one of the features OF th'
year. The saprsme court ordered th'
standard OH company and the Amcri
/ can Tobacco company 20 dissolve, IN
tcrpretlng the Jaw By the famous ''rnl'
or reason" Congress Investigated tn
sugar trust and the steel trust, ant
the government began suit against tn
last named. The criminal case agalns
/ the Chicago packers started In IA