St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-02-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Republicans Expected to Regain
Control Of COngress.-But
Little Legislation.
washington. Feb. II.

tent, by 11ngi And still It comes,
thicker, faster and more of it. AS
l write another blizzard has swept
over us, leaving in its wake more
snow and ice. and everything frozen
as solid as Joe's pond. The wood
chuck is clearly to blame for it,
sneaking out of his holt when he
knew he couldn't see his shadow,
and he should be made a political
issue.
Congress is now well immersed in
routine legislation, including the
tariff The latter is as much a part
of the regular work of every session
as the appropriation bills or pen
sion, and the three it would seem
we would have with us always. Wars
may come and go, with the men who
fought them, but the pension bills
keep on increasing in number and
volume. In these later years the
tariff has also become an endless
political game, full of possible po-
litical advantage, and for years to
come will very likely be played for
whatever there may be in it.
Would Damage the East.
Only two appropriation bills have
as yet reached the senate from the
house. and thus far one of the dem
ocratic piecemeal tariff bills. This
is the steel schedule, or so-called
metal schedule, and hearings are
now being given on it before the
senate committee on finance. The
house permitted nobody to be heard
on the subject. Chairman Under
wood of the house, representing the
democracy, has freely admitted that
the passage of the bill as it came
from the house would deprive the
steel manufacturers of the east of
all profit in their industries and
compel them to do business at a
loss if they continue it at all. There
you have the democratic platform.
they continue it at all. There you
have the democratic platform.
Frank, isn't it?
Meanwhile, the democratic party
as represented by the democratic
majority in the house, is plainly in
for all kinds of trouble. Trouble
scalloped, gored, cut bias, straight
edged, beveled and grooved. Trouble
at a critical time is as natural for
the party as it is for Vermont law
yer to run for the supreme court. 1t
is habit, a disease and an affliction
and a perpetual joy forever to the
opposition. AS a sure thing, it is
sinful to bet on it.
Bryan to Rule or Ruin.
1t is now evident here that Bryan
is out to do up the democratic par
ty, if he cannot control it. That
prospect is sufficient to cause a rea-
sonable democrat to talks off his mitt
and retire from the game. Whether
Bryan succeeds or not. it spells party
disaster in auction bill type. The
only hope of the party is to outlive
him, meanwhile retiring to it's
country residence. Bryan isn't i'm
mortal, like pensions and the wool
en- schedule, and if any appreciable |
fragment of the party outlives him
there may be hope
Bryan's pet scheme these days is
to issue orders to the democratic |
house majority as to the disposition |
of any and all matters before it, and |
if it disobeys to blacklist the stiff [
necked and rebellious and appeal to
the country to turn them down hard /
This he has done in the recent case
of the money trust investigation, I
and he now asks the pure and unde-
filed people of whatever stripe to
democratic majority in congress as
soon as they can be got at. Other
wise, there will be things doing
Therefore and because of which |
democratic harmony or prospect of
national victory is as impossible |
with Bryan in the open as skating
on the Panama canal. He is the T
democratic old man of the sea, and |
is to that party what LaFollette has
been to the republicans for two |
years past. With the political sub
mersion of LaFollette the republi- !
cans are now in the convalescent |
ward, and at the present rate of /
Improvement will very soon be dis
charged as cured.
Republican Prospects Better.
Never in my years of observation
have I seen party prospects improve |
as rapidly as have those of the re-
publicans- meaning thereby the |
dministFation-in the past month /
Never in the same given time has a |
candidate gained as has the presi-
dent. The downfall of LaFollette /
and the continued silence of Roose-
velt have served to bring back |
thousands to the support of the /
president, and as the latter's record /
and personality are studied by safe /
and sane citizens the more the peo-
pie have rallied under his banner 4
and have given him the encourage
ment of 'well done, good and faith
full servant"
The writer, with very many 9th
ers, deprecated the manner of
Taft's nomination, forced on the
country by the man on horseback,
but since then he has grown in
breadth of view and administrative
independence, and today stands for
all that is worthy in republicanism.
He is fortunate in the enemies he
has made, and in the opposition he
has encountered. Present. indica-
tons are that he is practically re-
uniting the party, as the onward
sweep in his direction continues. To-
day the Taft opposition is at sea
On raft, seeking a candidate. There
is now much less reason why Roose- I
Valf should n