New-York tribune., 1912-01-01
THE YEAR AT HOME.

of fourteen years. President Ia1t gave
The Democratic majority in the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES an early opportunity TO
show its mettle by calling Congress TO-
eether In extraordinary session on Aprli
4. The House met in Il chastened ana
self-distrustful mood, pledged itself 10
moderation and economy and throughout
the extra session held itself notlceably
in check. Instead of redeeming its lav-
ish promises to reduce the cost of living
by making sweeping decreases In tarln
duties it repudiated old-fashioned IDEAS
Of Democratic revision and tried TO
dicker successfully with the insurgents
in the Senate, who favored reductions
only on articles not produced by their
constituencies. The manpuvres or the
extra session, ending in the veto by Presi-
dent Taft Of the various hodge-podSe
schedules submitted to him by the Demo
Cratic-insurgent coalition, destroyed pub
lie confidence in the purpose of the Dem
ocratic leaders in the House 10 revise
rates in any other spirit than that OF
petty partisan self-seeking, and the pas
sage at the beginning Of the regular ses-
sion of a pension bill intended to add
S75OOOOOO to the nations annual eXpen-
diture glaringly exposed the hypocrisy
Of the party's earlier protestations or de-
votion to programme of retrenchment.
Had Canada approved the reciprocity
agreement made by President Taft and
Premier Laurier the passage by Con-
gress of an act carrying its provisions
into effect would have properly been re-
garded as the most important political
event of the year The administration
exhibited marked courage in submitting
a compact which was certain 10 create
local irritationS in the states along the
Canadian border and to arouse the an
tagonism of the advocates Of protection
carried to the point of economic isola-
ton President Taft was planning mainly
for the future, and the acceptance by
both countries Of the agreement would
have meant the gradual establishment
of intimate commercial relations between
Canada and the United States and pow
erfu impulse given to the theory Gf
solidarity of interests among the nations
of the American continents. The pas
sage by Congress at the extra session OF
the Canadian reciprocity bill was trl-
umph of large-mindedness over narrow
ness. Canada's vote however, showed
that the Laurier administration had been
impressed by ideas still little aheat OF
the times so far as the people of the
Dominion were concerned.
The negotiation with Great BRIAN
and France Of arbitration treaties OF an
advanced order was another notable evil
dence of political, progress. Those
treaties also excited the opposition of per-
sons who fear they commit the nation TO
arbitrating something which it might not
find il advantageous to arbitrate. But
the additional safeguards which they put
about hasty and impulsive action in 2
dispute between two countries are IN
themselves a salutary restraint upon the
temptation to resort 10 force. Their rati-
fication will be long step toward the
elimination Of unnecessary quarrels and
the introduction Of an era Of interna-
tional peace. based upon the willingness
of the ratifying powers to accept an i'm
partial adjudication Of conflicting con-
tentions.
The completion by the Tariff Board
last month of its report on the wool
schedule marked the first practical ap-
plication of the scientific as opposed 10
the guesswork method Of tariff making
In the light of the complete information
which the board stands prepared to fur
nish Congress has no longer any excuse
for saying that 1t is trying to accomplish
one thing through tariff legislation when
it is really accomplishing another. No
Representative or Senator can maintain
hereafter that he is voting to give low
protection when he is really voting to
give high protection, or pretend TO be
treating the producer handsomely at the
same time that he is levying tariff rates
solely for the benefit of the consumer
The Democratic party in Congress is nat
urally most reluctant TO acknowledge the
value of the reform in tariff making
methods which the activities of the
Tariff Board will accomplish, for its
timidity about doing what it has prom
ised TO do or accepting responsibility for
what il does is as marked in this Con-
gress as 1t was in the Congress Of 1893
'95. which earned President Cleveland's
famous reproaches for ''perfidy and dis
honor"
The year Just ended will be memorable
for the Supreme Courts decisions in the
Standard Oil and Tobacco Trust cases
III those decisions the court gave def
nite Interpretation Of the Sherman anti
trust law and an illustration Of how that
law Is to be applied. Few opinions Of the
court have had so wide reaching an eco
nomic effect The year was also marked
by a large increase in the number Of
suits brought by the government against
combinations acting In restraint Of inter-
state trade and the individuals engaged
in such combinations. The federal Inter
state Commerce Commission exerted its
power 70 suspend and then nullify I'M
portant increases in freight rates, ad-
vance notice of which had been given by
railroads In all sections of the country.
Altogether, the policy Of the government
to restrain tendencies toward the monop-
olizarion of trade or its conduct iu an
oppressive manner was strikingly mani
tested both administratively and jndi-
cially.
Arizona and New Mexico were author
lied to enter the Union under new condi-
tions prescribed by Congress at the extra
session. These conditions have now been