Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-11
THE EXPIRING CONGRESS.

The 63rd Congress closed Thursday ana
with it closed the first half of the
administration of woodrow Wilson.
While the President and Congress are
separate though coordinate branches OF
the government, it is difficult to think of
the legislative branch Of the government
as wholly separate from the executive.
President Wilson has been able to I'M
pose his will upon his party to a degree
without parallel in American annals
and to an unusual degree the Presidents
record is bound up with that Of the Con-
gress whose certain rang down THURSDAY
This Congress was called in extra ses-
sion by President Wilson for the purpose
of revising the tariff and 1t has been in
almost continuous session. having worked
no less than 6S7 DAYS. The measures to
he credited to the President and Con-
gress are as follows:
Underworld Simmons tariff act, Sup
planting pavnc-Aldrich law.
The personal income tax law.
heItdl VI dllHIld 'Hlldl tpHS tHV''P
ton for American coastwisc shipping.
Clayton and federal trade board acts
to supplement the sherman antitrust
laws.
Act regulating cotton exchanges and
renaliaing speculation in cotton futures.
The federal reserve act. revolutionizing
nations currency system and establish
ing the reserve bank system. intended to
prevent ranics.
Levied war tax.
Authorized $1,000 900 government rail-
road in Alaska
Here are some of the failures to be
charged mp to the expiring Congress:
ship bill, intended to help ~rc-establish
merchant marine, talked to death in long
est flihustcr on record.
Blocked conservation measures urged
by President.
Killed rural credits legislation demanded
by farmers,
~Strangled child labor reform aimed to
end revolving Industrial slavery of chill
dren.
Refused TO enact bill regulating issue
of railroad securities.
Enacted immigration bill with literacy
test; killed by popular appeal and Presi-
dents veto.
The only important administratior
measure in connection with which the
President was unable to continue his
leadership of his party was that ~relatine
to shipping. and 1t is understood that the
administration will depend upon develop.
ments and an appeal to the people tc
help secure the passage of a bill by th'
new Congress.
The conspicuous failure of the demo
cratic Congress was it's revision of thu
tariff in a way to seriously interfere
with the prosperity of the country. jus
the European war had not occurred
must ever remain a matter of conjec
ture: but in the light of history of tariff
revision. It Is not necessary to argl
as TO what paraINHel 80 many Wneel
of industry. Whether the new Congress
will adopt the suggestion Of Nationa
Committeeman Mack of New York an
others to enact legislation to take tn
tariff out OF politics remains to be demon
strated.
AS regards the American merchan
marine both republicans and democrat
grievously offended during the e~xistenc
of this Congress. both parties playin
into the hands of British shipping inter
ests. The democrats under the lead c
President Wilson surrendered America
shipping rights In the Panama cana
while the republicans instead Of tryin
to devise some practical way Of helpin
Americas merchant marine to take no
vantage of the present opportune perio
to gain ocean commerce.. simply blocko
every move made by the Wilson admir-
istration forces.
Meanwhile British steamships continu
to carry the lions share of America
America across the Atlantic to Englis
ports and thence to their destination
t~ention to Uncle Sans protests. for h
must appear to John Bull about Il
oaciaet tbypr syoi,,,