The Washington herald., 1918-02-28

The Senate will not fall into line
for the price-hxing bill in the same
way the House now promises to.
An early canvass OF the situation
shows a decided inclination of even
the administration strongest friends
in the Senate to oppose some Of
the provisions inserted in the House
bill The outlook is for more of
an upheaval than has been brought
about on any other piece Of legis-
Iation.
The price-fixing field is decidedly
one which hits hard at American
pocketbooks. 1t is a field which il
occupied with ill results will bring
the legislators to earlier grief than
any other field possibly could. The
lawmakers realize the dangers and
in the upper house they propose to
use some of the independence many
of them have almost forgotten in
the past several months.
Legislative experiments in the price
fixing field have not been a success
thus far. The only field, of course.
in which the experiment has been
made is in the fixing of wheat prices.
And at that the farmers of the coun-
try are distracted, on the one hand,
because the price is not high enough.
while on the other hand the con-
sumers are equally disturbed because
the price is. as they believe. too high.
Anyway, before the bill emerges
from the Senate with its final dec
orations it. is apt to be a consider
ably altered document. The fate of
the Democratic party as a construc-
tive agent rests largely on this meas
ure. If it fails the party will be
weakened perceptibly in its fight for
recognition in the country. On the
other hand If som" ~-----'qble meas
ure can be evolved which will work
| out in sensible fashion, the party
will be helped and the country will
be benefited. There is no politics
/ in the effort. however. as the lead
ers consider that the situation is
too grave for that. But the high
est constructive abili'" must be call
ed into action, the leaders realize,
too, and they know no makeshift
bit of legislation will do in the price
emergency.
ANo IL JCISty 10
| get into a row over the Baird ap-
pointment, our own Joe will not enter
| the Senatorial bee But some good
| Democrat will be found, according
to promise of the leaders, who can
take the measure of the weakened
Republican candidate. BY the way,
the Republicans will be more than
| disappointed next fall If after the
Senatorial races are over in the vari-
| GUS States they find they lack one
| of controlling the upper house. They
will heap malediction upon Governor
Edge for naming a man who didn't
meet the expectations of Jersey Re-
publicans.
Mr.. Hays is in the city, folks. He
is not going to make as much noise
as Rodey does in sailing over the
city with his hornpipe, but just the
same the Hoosler will accomplish a
few things while here. The big mat
ter to be taken up here. naturally,
is the control of the House and SEN
| ate. And the battle for the latter
is likely to be more seriously dis
| cussed than the battle for the for
mer, for some of the. leaders now
admit that they have the z. o. n.
control of the House safely put away
in their war bags.
The next step Congress may take
and 1t would have taken it long
ago had an opportunity been given
for this new class of officials to
make goods to make dignified
inquiry about the connections of
many of the dollar-a-year patriots
who are working hereabouts.
Not all of the esteemed gentle
men who are here in that class are
to be given the Congressional "once
over by any means. But some of
them whose connections are known
to leave them an opportunity to
feather their own financial nests
are likely to be invited into the
legislative parlors to tell more
about themselves.
Sordid facts have become known
here and there about some of these
gentlemen. Facts indeed. that Il