The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-04-17
By Ernest o. walker.

tlonal house is recovering slowly FROM
the great canal tolls battle. The ma
jority Of eighty odd that was rolled
up for repeal OF tho exemption clause
cost something. II opened wide the
Democratic ranks. II these can bt
closed at all, it will only come with
the lapse Of time. The wounded arr
recovering and there is show again Of
normal times around the south end OF
the Capitol But Speaker Clark Of
fort OF his life, which his emphatic
speech in opposition to the repeal bin
was calculated to be, win moi be for.
. gotten soon whom Democrats have 10
so into legislative contests. strained
relntions there are bound to be for a
long while yet. Probably IL will inn,
pair the fighting strength Of the ma
jority party.
The clash certainly loosed the food.
gates of criticism against President
Wilson. With Democrats and Repub.
licans joining in the clamor, how could
the effect have been otherwise. IL
made critics holder also in other mat
tiers and the President now finds him.
self more generally and 6ercely under
FIRE than ever before since March a,
1918. IL used to be said and probably
is still true that the country gets its
lasting impression Of President dur
ing the first six months of his term.
The President defenders are hoping
that this will stand him in good stead
during the present perilous times. For
his popularity is being put to the test
as never before since he came to the
White House.
Enemies are bearing down from other
quarters, although it is to be kept in
mind all the while that the tolls fight
is not yet over, indeed, is at its in
tensest stage now before the senate.
A new interstate commerce commits
sioner, Winthrop NJ Daniels, of New
Jersey, has just been confirmed in the
senate by majority Of nine. That was
another administration victory as was
that vote for repeal Of exemptions in
the house, But that Is costing some
thiRgs tooaezfoo, " - fsi.,,3 agr
Western senators Antagonistic.
The radical western senators, includ-
ing Progressives and near Progressives
have boon gradually veering around to
direct ard savage opposition to the
President. They are all Republicans,
TO be sure, or Progressive Republicans,
but none the less there is marked
change from the friendly attitude to-
ward him which they had for quite a
time. The confirmation of Daniels to
be interstate commerce commissioner
has widened the breach between the
White House and these westerners. OF
course Cummins and IaFollette could
ha -, a.. kak IA .ks.T,,
with the anti.Wilson forces but they
have been impelled to this because
they believe the President is siding too
much with the railroads. Daniels rep
resents some conservatism in the fed.
oral attitude toward railroads. He is
probably somewhat in sympathy with
the idea Of letting up on the railroads
a little, which is understood to be the
Presidents idea For opinion is very
much around that continuance Of hard
times is due somewhat TO hard knocks
the railroads have been getting from
the government Indeed, il seems pref
ty well established, that while the rail.
roads generally have been wastefully
managed, officials of these properties
now find themselves in corner and
do not know just what to do unless the
Interstate commerce commission will
give them relief in the shape of in,
creased freight rates.
4 Quite group of western senators do.
not accept this proposition mt ALL They
will assent TO no policy of mercy for
the railroads and especially for the
eastern railroads. The confirmation of.
Mr.. Daniels, who takes Office at a very
important time, when freight increase.
cases are to be decided and when the
work of yaluing the railroads OF the
United States by the commission Is
getting well under way, Is regarded by
these radicals as extremely significant,
twill be used as an argument against
the administration undoubtedly in the
western elections this autumn.
Reserve Districts Net satisfactory. {
On top Of all this has come the desig
nation Of federal reserve districts. This
has loosed more criticism, which is
rather upon members of the organiza
,tion committee than upon the Rresi,
dent directly, 1t looks much as though
Comptroller of the Currency John Skel
ton Williams, o member of the organ,
ization committee, has,outdone himself
IN having Richmond, Virginia, made
reserve bank city. Richmond has large
commercial interests, but not in any
such degree as has Baltimore, which is
made a banking tributary. Indeed,
there are thousapds of business men in
the Shenandoah Valley and the Pied
mont section Virginia, as well as upon
the Eastern Shore, whose transactions
arc all with Baltimore The course of
trade and business is in that direction.
But there Is much question whether
the organization committee, which in
cluded Secretary of the Treasury Nc
Adoo and Secretary of Agriculture
Houston did this work of distributing
the country wisely. They certainly
succeeded IN stirring up a maximum of
protest and IN opening the way for
insinnations, For example, the two
Louisiana senators, Ransdelr and Thorn