River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-12-11
WASHINGTON LETTER
FROM JAMES A. FREaR, MEMBER OF
CONGRESS-, 10th DISTRICT

sage before both Houses of Con
gress in joint session last week
You are familiar with it's recon
mendations which met with freQueu
applause from all parts of tn,
House Chamber. There are those
who are inclined to be critical, but
fair minded men were impressed
with its sincerity of purpose. Fol
lowing on the heels of the turbulent
Baltimore and Chicago conventions
his proposal that Congress provide
for party nominations for President
by direct vote, was generously APP
plauded. He proposes to abolish
presidential nominating conventions
by substituting a national primary
and later convention for the pur-
pose of adopting platform, the
convention to be composed of the
successful candidates for President,
candidates for the House and Sen
ate, hold over Senators and Nation
al Committeemen-W isconsin's law
adapted to a larger field
Speculation as to the next presi-
Dental campaign with the possib lie
candidates. Of LaFollette, Roose-
welt and others for the Republican
nomination is now lively. 1t is
generally believed that the Presi.
dent stole a march on all parties,
including his own by the proposal,
but no one is certain of the motive.
The Alaskan Government railway
proposition is also a clean cut
advance step in progressive legis
lation. Both of these propositions
and his recommendation for an eff.
fective railway employers liability
act, would have been deemed
socialistic half dozen years ago.
Opinions will differ as to the
results achieved during the nine
months that the new AdminiStra-
tion has been in power, because no
fair judgment can be had until the
tariff and currency bills have been
tried out. Both were PASSED by
the House, but the caucus deter
mined that these two measures
should constitute the entire legis-
lative program for the special SEES
sion, consequently during the last
three months both the Senate and
the House daily marched up the hill
and then marched down again.
The currency bill is yet in tn
Senate, but all parties are endeavor-
ing to mold it into shape so that
when it becomes law, money
panics will be rare, if at all pos
sible. Business depression, poor
crops and clamities, will come and
go. Hard times may occasionally
knock at the door, but when no
man is able to corner the money
market or when good collateral
security will bring ready money to
bridge over stringency; then
money panics will not be feared.
That much ought to be accomplish
ed by the new currency bill and
that feature alone is of great value.
President Wilson's handling of
the Mexican situation although
criticised in some quarters, seems
to meet with quite general approval
particularly his attitude on non
Intervention. With Carranza in
Northern Mexico conducting a bar
barous campaign and Huerta put
ting Madero, Diaz and other objec-
tionable legislators behind bars or
to death, single false move by
this Government would mean heavy
cost in lives and money.
One day last week | was in the
Lion house" at the zoo where
half hundred lions, tigers, panthers
and hyenas were quietly doing.
One big brow fellow yawned, dis
closing to us mouth, throat and
fangs that warned Intermediates to
keep out, and he completed his cape
with a roar which was Immediately
answered defantly from an oppo-
site cage. Then the roars and
bowling became general and con-
tinuous, all the animals adding
their voices TO din rivallin9 boil
er factory in thunder storm.
l asked the keeper why the
animals raised a disturbance with
out any PROPAGATION, to which he
answered, II reckon it's just their
Internal natures that are to blame"
Less than 20 per cent of the Mex
lean population can read or write,
and thus far President Wilson has
refused to pound the animals with
irons or be driven TO active inter