Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-22
WHAT CONGRESS HAS DONE
Tariff and War Tax Measures in
Work Accomplished.
Democrats, in Campaign Book, Give
Credit to President for Carrying
Out Platform Promises-Sext
Session to De Short.

A Washington dispatch to the New York
Evening Post says Congress Is about TO
adjourn. There have been two sessions
since the democrats came into full control
of the government, but the second session.
now in It's closing hours, began on the day
OF the ending Of the extra ordinary ses-
sion called by President Wilson TO meet
soon after his entrance into office.
The Democratic party has dominated
the sixtythird Congress. It's first legis-
lative work concerned itself with a tar
iff and its last with tax. Between the
passage Of the tariff act and the begin
ming of consideration of the war tax
act the party in power did lot of legis-
ating. What 1t did will be told in the
next two weeks with considerable exul-
taton by all the democratic stump speak
crs.
The republican speakers also will tell
what the democrats did. but they Will
draw different lessons from it's doing
The record of accomplishment, however
Is n long one but admission !s made
by members OF all parties in Washington
that the effects of the Legislation can
not yet be told accurately. The demo-
Gratis say that they have done as they
promised to do, and that there Is no
present shadow over the political land
scape.
In the campaign pamphlets and text
books which the democratic political COM
mittees have issued. credit for the record
Of II months Is given first to Woodrow
Wilson, and then to the Democratic party
as represented In Congress. It was not
the intention OF the committees apparent
ly to belittle or to give a secondary place
to the credit due Congress, but 1t has done
so nevertheless.
KEPT PARTY PROMISES
"a Record of Achievement" the demo-
Gratis call the history Of their work in
the first and second sessions of the six
ty-third Congress. Then they tell how
the good things were done, and they give
pages upon pages to the acts Of the chief
workman. Woodrow Wilson II would
seem that the members Of the demo-
cratic political committees realize that
many democrats in Congress We're not
in entire accord with Mr. Wilson's pro-
gram Of legislation, a program, however
which has come close 10 being completed
10 It's last number.
Some Washington politicians are will
ing to predict that, now that the demo-
cratic members are about to be released
for the stump speaking, the strongest
words OF praise for the accomplishment
Of the administration are likely to come
from those members of the party who at
first We're stubborn In resistance to some
Of the pronounced policies Of the Presi-
dent. From tariff to tax the legislation
has run its course and midway came tho
repeal Of the tolls exemption clause OF
the Panama canal act, rock on which
the majority in Congress came near to
splitting The democrats who opposed the
Presidents action In this matter probably
Will not repeat the speeches made in Con-
gress at the time OF the discussion of the
bill. All that has been done has been
swallowed, accepted were a better demo-
cratic word, and there will be no acrimo-
NOUS debates between democrats who take
TO the districts to ask their constituents
for reelection.
President Wilson called Congress to-
gether in extraordinary session on April
I. 1918. 1t took up the task OF revising
the tariff. The Underwood Simmons law
IN course Of time superseded the Payna-
Aldrich law. In the House republicans
have said that the democrats have ig-
nored any recent reference to the high
cost Of living. which they had promised
to reduce In It's Record OF Achieve
ment," however. the democratic politi-
cal committee says of the Underwood
tariff act. 1T kept democratic promis.
by reducing the cost Of the necessaries
OF life, and yet stimulated American In
dustries and commerce"
Following the enactment of the Under
wood bill. Congress took up consideration
of the federal reserve act, currently
known as the currency bill This measure
was passed and soon Will go into fun
operation. The democrats speak OF It
this way; LAS a financial hulwark the
value of this enactment cannot be un-
derestimated," and then they add that
Its passage is directly attributable TO the
strong stand taken by the President"
THREE BIG THINGS
Tariff. currency, and the trusts" this
is the way the democrats grouped the
three legislative measures In the order II
promised performance, II not in the order
of Importance. They were the three
things most talked of and the three things
most vigorously pressed for action.
House and Senate during the time of
the labored passage of these greater
measures found opportunity to discuss
less important bills, largely of democrat
ic origin and some of these bills became
law but the trio of tariff, currency, and
trusts shadowed the interest In most other
things save that In the unexpected leg
islation for the repeal OF the tolls provi-
sion OF the Panama canal act.
The trade commission bill created a
tribunal which, as the democrats put II,
will arbitrate between disputants IN
commerce and do justice between the
public and the great Industrial corpora
tons" constituted n part of the anti
trust legislation program, and II was
passed before the Clayton antitrust bill
had advanced far on the road OF consid-
entton.
Within the week the Clayton bin has
been passed and signed by the President