The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-30
BY ARTHUR W. DUNN.

SIS, Is the most important aculeNelnehL
Of the first session of the Slxty-thfrl
congress. Coming into complete egfsla-
the power for the first time In twenty
years. the Democrats marked their
control OF the government by fulfilling
their promises on the main issue which
divided the two great political parties
for more than half century.
1t will take sOlne time for the people
to understand what has really been
done with the tariff and what effect
the rates will have upon the prices
they pay. Details Of the tariff are
somewhat nebulOus to the average per-
son, and even those who have heard
the subject debated day, after day and
have studied the schedules for years
are somewhat ha2y as I'd what has
really been done. save That there has
been very great reduttton=a real re.
vision dowhwall.
The most marvellous thing about the
new law is the ease with which it walls
passed. Its author. Oscar W. Under
wood, took it into the Democratic eau
Gus. where differences were thraShed
out and where Democrats were moral
ly pledged to stand by the ways and
means committee Then the bill was
taken into the house and passed with
only such changes us Underwood ana
bis lieutenants thought necessary. y
similar method was adopted In the
senate, although Senator Simmons.
who was in charge OF the bill. allowed
more latitude to his lteutenants on the
finance committee than was given
members of the house:
And so was passed the measure for
which the session was called by rreSi
dent Wilson. All, that name recalls
something! 1t may be mentioned in
passing that had 1t not been for the
iron hand OF Woodrow Wilson the
tariff would have seen stormy times.
There would have been no free sugar
and free wool, and the rates generally
would have been much higher. The
PRESIDENT set his stakes on free wool
and free sugar. held them in the bill in
spte Of the efforts Of many Democrat
lc senators. thus setting the scale upon
which many other schedules were adj
juSted.
Currency Which Never Came.
Naturally when the president found
that it was not such II difficult thing
to pass q tariff bill he felt sure that
currency would run, along just as
smoothly. Somehow it has been diff
ferent. 1t seems to huv4 struck sn0ss
which at times were about to wreck
the measure. The majority in the
house were doclle. They only had to
know that the currency bill suited the
administration and then gulp Il down
without dsklnS questions. Oh. "f
course. there were II few inquiSItir"
persons, fellows who thought they
knew something about finance. ana
they showed a disposition to kick, but
the majority was so great that their
outcries md kicks caused only slight
and momentary disturbance.
In the senate 1t was different. III"
Democratic majority is very small.
Strange to say, there were three OF the
seven Democratic members OF the
banking and currency committee who
never would-nO, never. never, never
vote for the administration BILL One
of them stood out till the last. while.
tie other two gradually yielded t"
tile personal influence OF the. president
and the lure Of the party Gall. But
this did not happen i'll time to mAli"
the currency bill law at the Sprria
session. 49,.
All this proved n surprise to, Mr.,
Wilson. When he called congress In
session in April he made plans t"
spend the summer with his faInlly in
New Hampshire and month Of the
fall ut Panama. Just the other day the
president told al inquirer TINT lie
thought he might go to Panama III
1915. He didn't sign the tariff act un-
til Oct. 8. he may not sign the cur
| rency actsuntil April 3. Woodrow VIII
son has learned the ways Of congress
during; the special session, and he
knows lie must have patience.
NewIands Act Very Important.
Although the special session Of con
rress dedicated tselfyto the tariff and
President Wilson sentenced 1t to, cur-
rency as we'll. it did also take up leg
islatlon. A law Of farreaching lmpor-
lance is the, Newlands act, which was
passed, providing for mediation. con-
citation and arbitration between the
employers and the employed. For a.
long time there was the Erdman act.
which was well enough in Its way, but
lit did not have very much strength in
Iaverting or settling strikes. The New
LANDS act really amounts to something.
Already 1t has ayertcd the tieup Of all
the eastern railroads and not long since
was responsible for stopping a strike
or the Southern Pacific. A real board
for the settlement Of labor disputes has
been created, and highly paid men