The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-03-28

iouSe vi representatives the new pres
dent will be obliged to depend upon
any support outside of his own party
ITO secure sanction for any legislation
which he may care to recommend. pro-
lFlded OF course it is within the realm
OF party sanity. The house of repre-
sentatiVes. certainly so far as the Dem
! cratic majority is concerned. is more
conservative today than it has been
for long time, but the conservative
ones are conservatives on their own
account for the main part, and not on
account of their constituents There
are dozens of Democratic members Of
the lower branch, conservative in
thought, who represent progressive
constituencies. Regard for their con-
stltuents and for the future probably
will hold most of these Democrats to
the Wilson policies.
In the senate there are more pro.
gresslves, even radicals, today than
ever before in the history of that body
Seven years ago, and from that time
down until almost the present, a con-
servative senate viewed with alarm" a
radical house. Today semi-conserva
tive house is viewing, but with no ex-
preston OF alarm, a, progressive and
perhaps radical senate. The change
has been unexpected, but it has come
and 1t Is marked
| In the next house Of representatives.
conservative Republicans will form
small minority of the membership.
There will not be many more of them
than there are of the progressive.
minded ones Of their own party. On
many of the Wilson policies the Pro
gressives and the progressive Repub-
licans can be accounted as part of the
Democracy,
Progressives Forming Program.
The Progressives, of whom there
will be nineteen or twenty members in
the next house, have not yet complet,
er their legislative program. although
some of it's details have been agreed
upon and have been given in these dis
patches before this time. 1t seems to
be assured today that the one line of
Progressive and progressive Republi-
can endeavor which will run sharply
counter to the endeavor of the progress
sive Democrats, and of the administra-
ton as we'll, is one which runs into
the field of child labor legislation.
AS for the rest of the legislation, the
progressive Republicans and the Pro,
gressives will wait to see what 1t is
tMat Mr.. Wilson is to recommend.
That they will support him if his
Views are as their views is certain.
/ sundry Civil Bill Annoys.
PAS soon as congress gets to.
gdther again it must repass the
s4ndy civil bill which failed to be-
cl5me law because Mr.. Taft chose
b veto it. The house of representa-
lives, as will be remembered, voted to
@snts 5si5fs KnsI sdj5SFhmsS ;ss no e
i action was taken on it, and it died
what congressman call a natural
| death. The senate meeting thereafter
in extra session, could not pass upon
the bill because it was an act of the
last congress-.
The suniry civil bill is just what its
name implies. 1t includes appropria.
lions for variou, expenditures of gov.
eminent which come under the head
OF sundries, and among it's provisions
are appropriations for special work
in some Of the departments. Mr.. Taft
vetoed tie bill because it contained
a provision r. the effect that no part
o. sum voted to aid in prosecutions
under the antitrust law should be
used to prosecute labor organizations
trying to combine for the purpose of
lettering working conditions or for |
raising wages, and also a provision |
which estopped the use of the appro-
priation to prosecute certain agricul.
tural combinations intended to get
proper prices for commodities. Mr.
Taft said it was class legislation and
ought not to pass.
Awkward for congressman.
The sundry civil bill matter which
the next congress must take up, hav.
ing in it the labor proviso named, &C.
centuates once more the difficulties
which legislative bodies have in
dealing with the labor question. In
labor is looked upon as "a
class" and so class legislation there
is not regarded as anything out of the
ordinary. In America there are not
to be Glasses" and SO it
Is that, in the view of good many
students of the Constitution and of
economics generally, labor organiza.
tons stand where organizations of
capital stand. 1t is crucial sort OF
a question and one if it were debated
thoroughly in house ard senate, would
put many members in awkward 20.
sitions. :
No one knows whether or not the
provision to which Mr. Taft objected
Will be inserted in the sundry civil bill
IS it is to be redrawn. 1t Is appar-
mt that a good many members hope
t will be omitted from the bill, be.
,ause there never is any very great i;
lesire to discuss question which ;: