River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-21
WASHINGTON LETTER
From James A. FreaF, Member Of Congress
10th District.


by having slipped into the TRADE
Commission bill authority to inves
tigate the tariff question, came as Z
surprise Representative Mann Of
Illinois took the flor and showed
the course of the Trade Commits
sion bill through OF b Houses
First, be claimed the power give 4
to the Trade Commission was due
to an amendment prepared by the
Republican leaders and presented
BY Repf sentative Stevens of St.
Paul he Senate struck out this
provision, crippling the bill, but it
was re-inserted in the House by Mr..
Stevens and on conference was al
lowed to rem ain in the bill
Nobody cares particularly who
gets the credit for any powers pos
sessed by the Trade Commission,
but the important thing to know is,
whether or nor the new Trade Com
mission will exercise its powers and
investigate tart Fl conditions and
thereby aid to a scientific instead
Of political revision.
Woman's suffrage held the floor
for ten hours the other day, on a
resolution for constitutional
amendment. 1t required two
thirds vote to pass the House and
although it only received ia votes,
the result indicates a surprising
growth of sentiment. Argument
was made that the right to vote
would be self enforcing, and that
no community would think of re-
fusing that right. Although the
South refuses negro suffrage in
many places, due to local senti-
ment, the conditions are unusual
and would not be likely to affect
woman's suffrage.
Compared with the recent Hobson
prohibition resolution, it was claim
ed by some of the speakers that
while prohibition or state manage
ment of the liquor traffic as con-
Quoted in South Carolina and other
states only served to weaken respect
for law and would operate to larg-
er degree if attempted nationally,
woman's suffrage made certain a
right which many contended had
always existed, but had never been
exercised. The writer believed with
the latter school Of thought which
recognizes the sexes of equal intel
ligence and judgment on great NOR
al and educational questions and it
is on these matters where the right
to vote, when given, has been most
frequently exercised.
A $34, 100000 river and harbor
bill has been before the House sew
eral days and so far as possible,
have tried to get some of the worst
items stricken out. Traff1cless riv-
ers, dry six months in the year and
over, divide Uncle Sans money
with water power schemes and pri-
vate land reclamation propositions,
but no matter how bad the facts
were shown to be, the Committee
stood together-a characteristic at
titude on all pork barrel PROPOSE
tions. BY dividing the projects up
among the states, irrespective of
merit, the bill will get through the
House. Florida, Texas and North
Carolina got over one quarter of all
the items in the bill, although only
two or three harbors are of any
consequence and the rivers are of
little value. Influential members
of the House or Senate committees
get their share, irrespective of mer-
its, and Uncle Sam pays the bill.
Lenroot gave splendid a i d n
showing up a scandalous water
power project in Alabama, which
the government is asked to finance
to the extent of 100000. l be.
lieve the entire bill will be killed in
the Senate.
Billy Sunday, the famous evan
gelist, came to Washington the frs,
of the week and many prominen
officials crowded b Convention
Hall to hear him speak. He wa:
once baseball player, and played
ball on the Chicago t e m with
"Pop" Arson years ago. Mr.. Mann