Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-02-11

So0,UuO,UUU DILL put JUST WHEN tnC
primers are at work ON this great
! measure, Southern advocates of good
roads at federal expense, bring into the
House and have considered there
| s25 1000, 900 good roads bill. 1t is one
of the finest examples of the pork bar
| rel Congress has ever known.
Many northern states, like New York
and Massachusetts, have been Crap
! ping with the good roads problem on
| their own account. They have ap-
propriated Of their own money and are
| building or have built, many miles of
good roads which are being maintained
| by the communities traversed. But
| Southern states. penurious in expendt-
| lures for local benefit, clamor for fed
| eral aid. These Southern constitu-
| encies argue that if the money Is ap-
| propriated at Washington it costs them
next to nothing-at any rate they will
pay a much smaller share of it than
/ the richer communities that have to
meet larger federal taxes.
The good roads bill may or may not
get through this Congress but it opens
the way for the largest and most law
/ ish federal expenditures which Con-
gress has ever known for any kind OF
| internal improvements. Once 1t Is
started there will be no stopping 1t,
| even If states are required to meet the
federal appropriations dollar for dol
| lar.
| General appropriations, however, Will
probably be held down at this session
| of Congress. That will make good
argument for Democratic candidates
during the Congressional campaign.
But it is as certain anything can be
that the skimping Congress does at
this session must be made good in the
short session of Congress next winter
In other words deficiency appropria-
tions will be inevitable and what Is
withheld now must be supplied year
from now to enable the government 10
| live.
The long and the short of it is that
the old political drama is being re-
enacted. Perhaps no one should De
particularly blamed. The Democratic
brethren may be doing the very best
they can. Probably they are. But
they are finding out that the problem
of running the Government presents
many serious aspects. 1t is always
easy to criticize the other fellow but
it is something else to do the work
anv better yourself However, there
must be an effort to keep up appear
ances of promises performed as long as
it is possible.
The Panama Canal tolls question
| furnishes one of the tightest situations
in which the administration has found
itself Presumably President Wilson
has done the very best thing he could
do and 1t is to be borne in mind thae
the opposition party was responsible
for it in the beginning. The en-
barassment comes because enthusiastic
platform makers at Baltimore thought
il proper to clinch things by getting
the party on record in national con-
yention assembled. Political parties
have not always kept their convention
promises but in these times there is
great stress upon observing faith with
! the people.
The immigration bill, just passed by
the House, is another instance of pres
ent day troubles If the administra-
ton bill becomes law, 1t will be prop
erly classed as an administration
measure. The legislation thus far
has come nearer to cleaving the Demo-
any other administration event. There
is some question whether the president
will sign it. The chances are that he
will but before he reaches decision
| the most terrific fight of a generation
will be waged at the White House
Already delegations in opposition 10
the bill are Fastening there to en-
phasize their views.
This opposition comes from the
larger cities and the great centers
that have numerous foreign popula-
ton. If the bill becomes law with its
lteracy test, many of these foreign
ers will be unable to bring in their own
kin who are waiting across the water
anxious for the day when money will
be in hand to enable them to sail for
America. The land of the free and
the home of the brave becomes a
closed country to countless thousands
of them, because they can not read ano
write. If the bill becomes law, for
eign born voters will be estranged In
enormous numbers. On the othei
hand il the bill is not signed large
contingent which has been fighting FOL
this legislation for decade, including
the labor organizations, will take UNI
bragg.
From all of this it will be seen that
days of reckoning are gradually roll
ing around. 1t was certain to happen
to any party that gets into power after
having made promises promiscuously
Power brings responsibility and the
exercise of it invites comparison with
things as they were under previous
regimes.