The Washington herald., 1913-10-20
THE CLUTTER OF PROPOSED LAWS

than half of all these men who are also
interested In securing legislative enact
ments.
safety Valve for Rights.
In other words, freedom to INTRODUCES
is a safety valve for rights. Repress It
In one instance and the rights OF all dis
tricts are endangered. Freedom 10 run
the gauntlet leads TO the survival of the
fittest and a bill sometimes comes out
50 whacked and changed that Its own
parent hardly knows II.
Some one has described the Capitol
as the place where the soul Of our coun-
try sleeps. 1t does not sleep. The soul
LOT our country is finding expression
through more than 400 men. each selected
from q Congressional district and each
In the first place a servant Of his DIS
trict. and only in the second place a
countrywide statesman.
Not single well-founded protest can
lie against any clutter Of legislation that
really expresses conviction and opinion,
for the only way that Congressional
district can get voice in national affairs
Is through its Congressman and the most
active man who brings ripened judgment
to legislation does the most honor to his
district and gives the most aid to the
nation.
II We realize LnaI INV MAKING l8
serious business and that all enactments
must represent something akin to a
national sentiment (for they must meet
the approval OF more than one-half the
men sent here and these must meet the
approval OF the voters who send them
here) then we can get an idea Of how
the sentiment Of the country Is shaping
up.
Present Tendencies Drastic.
What tendencies can be found in the
present clutter OF bills? A determination
to hog-tie and brand every form OF
corporate activity; to bring business un-
der governmental supervision just as the
railroads have been compelled to account
to the Interstate Commerce Commission;
to compel the restoration OF competition
in business; to extend the terms OF
workmen's compensation for injuries
over every employe OF all railroads do
ing interstate business; to remove con-
vict and child-iabor goods from inter-
state commerce, and to further tie up
and control all the activities OF railroads
so that nothing OF Independence in
financial matters will remain.
Six different interstate trade or indus
trial commissions are proposed; one Ma
tional Wage Commission with a member
In each Congressional district has been
outlined. It would have As members and
the first appropriation to get it started
Is set at $4,000. More than fifty bills are
aimed at preventing any agreements as
to prices. All sorts of bills are aimed
at interlocl<ing directorates and certain
bills will not allow manufacturers OF
things needed by railroads to become
either stockholders or directors In rail-
roads.
Government Becoming Centralized.
The whole OF this mass proves q ten
dency toward less influence for the
States and an ever-spreading influence
OF the central government The coming
session will be spent in thrashing the
tendency into shape so as to widen the
scope OF centralized legislation The
process as outlined has been: % Tariff
revision, which includes the national in
come tax feature; CD currency and bank
ing reform. which includes the. Federal
Reserve Board; C0 antitrust legisla-
ton. which will probably include a ma
tional trade commission. One Is law.
the second is near law. the third will
characterize the first regular session of
the Sixty-third Congress.
October 27-MnkinR Edueation Pay.