The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-07-01
WILSON INSPIRES CONGRESS,
LESS COMPLAINING SINCE HIS
PROPHECY OF BUSINESS
BOOM.
Reform of Mileage Abuse-Scnatc and
House May Compromise Oh Flat
Rate OF 10 Cents Per Mile.

discernible at Washington is a criter-
ion it may be registered as a fact that
President Wilson has never made q
more impressive presentation of his
views on any subject than he made
Thursday at the White House to the
Virginia editors in defence Of his anti
trust programme.
Since the delivery of his speech.
with it's lucid and masterful statement
Of the reasons which impel the presi-
dent to insist on the trust-remedying
measures at the present session, many
of those who have heretofore COM
planned Of Mr.. Wilson's "Obstinacy' II,
holding congress through the summer
have come around to the opinion that
he Is right, and that it will be better
for business in the end to clean up
house quickly and be done, leaving
solid two years of this administration
rfee from disturbance.
If during these two years after the
enactment Of the trust bills there
shall be the widespread and substan-
tial business revival which the presi-
dent predicts, no doubt need be en-
tertained that he will be reelected
and that the two years Of business
freedom" will be extended into at least
six. with a good chance Of one or two
more Democratic administrations to
follow. OF course, If the president is
mistaken in his opinion of what is
best for business. his party must take
the serious consequences. but it Is no.
ticeable that the calm confidence in
the soundness Of his policy, which he
declares to have been formulated up
on the advice of some Of the best
business brains in the country, Is TAX
ing lot Of the starch out of criticism.
Not finishing up the years busl-
ness within the year Is apparently get
ting to be habit with congress-, 1t
Is very ugly one. too. While con-
gress was protesting against the dis
position OF the president to keep it
there after July / on account Of leg
islative matters outside of the regular
routine, 1t would seem that congress
would have been consistent enough TO
handle the regular routine with suitl-
cient expedition to have the appro-
priatiOn bills all passed by the close
Of the fiscal year. But with the end
Of the fiscal year only two weeks
away, eight or nine Of the supply
measures are still in congress- hands
In all probability congress will have
to adopt emergency resolutions con-
tinuing the appropriations for ten or
fifteen days at the rate per diem as
provided in the last Appropriation
Acts. In 1912 it was necessary to do
tending the old appropriations for .fif-
teen days having to be renewed for
another fifteen days before the sup
ply calendar was completely cleared.
1t Is impossible to resist the impress
sion that the legislators could have
proceeded with more dispatch this
year. There has been much criticism
Of the manner in which Mr. Under
wood and several other majority lead
ers. whose bugle horns used to be in
fiuential, have ceased to exert them
selves of late. CAS- to the minority,
1t has been doing as much tilibuster-
ing as 1t dared.)
This disposition to "let co. is not
confined to the representatives Of the
safe and sane" school, of which Mr.
Underwood has been considered the
best exhibit. Within the past few
days Senator Robert l.. Owen, of
Oklahoma, who led the fight for the
new currency system in the senate,
has packed up his duds and gone off
to Europe. leaving his colleagues to
"grOan and sweat" through the dog
days. Gossip has it that he BECAME
miffed because the president would
not add the Owen bill for the regula-
ton of stock exchanges to the imme-
diate programme Of the administra-
tiOn.
Frequent references have been
made I'm this correspondence to the
campaign which q few persevering and
right thinking men i'm congress have
been conducting to reform the mile
age abuse. The opinion has been ex-
pressed that the effort would bear
substantial fruit at this session. In
spite Of much scepticism in and out
Of congressional circles. 1t Is a hard
struggle. because at heart the ma
jority Of congress Is I'm favor Of AS
much mileage as 1t can get, but the
outlook Is that the result will be a
a. d m pr M iSp bcfwoon tho connto ,n.V