The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-08-30
The Farmer and the Jitney

|
those enganged in framing the rev.
enue bill is that 53.1 per cent of all
motor vehicles produced in the Uni
ted States in 1917 were purchased
by farmers. That figure indicates
what large percentage of automo-
biles are used for utility; in fact it
has been estimated by Good Roads
and Touring committees that only
one-tenth of all passenger automo-
biles can be said to be for pleasure
riding. The American Automobile
Association is busy collecting data
on the subject of what they term
taxation of highways transporta-
ton" as applied to the proposed levy
on automobiles and gasoline. The
information secured has been laid be-
fore the members of the finance COM
mittee of the senate to which the
revenue bill will come after it is
through the house.
"No License" Says Anderson
Representative Sidney Anderson of
| Minnesota scouts the position taken
| by several of his colleagues that the
pending water power bill requires a
license before power can be devel
oped on small, non-navigable streams
There is nothing in the bill that re-
quires anybody to apply for a u
cense. According to Mr.. Anderson's
| Interpretation of the measure any
man can proceed to the development
of power on small streams. He sim
ply takes his chances that some day
the government may make require
ment with respect to those waters
| Mr.. Anderson is member of the
water power committee, and has
paid special attention to the bill the
house is considering. AS a conse-
quence his views on the legislation
are closely followed by other mem
bers.
Make a Note
1t is a well-recognized elementary
principle that it is the duty of the
majority to maintain a quorum and
that the minority has no RESPONSE
bility in this respect. The failure,
therefore, of the senate to man a
quorum on August 18th, when the
new draft law, the expeditions pas
sage of which is so urgent, was 10
be taken up, is chargeable to the
| democratic party in control of the
senate and its organization. Will
the voters please remember this
when the fall elections are being
held, and when the democrats are
urging their continuance in control
of congress on the plea that they
will most efficiently support the war
program
Alabama Stands Pat
The renominatinon of Congress
man Huddleston of Alabama, after
the President had asked for his de-
feat need not be taken as an en-
dorsement of what Huddleston
stands for. 1t is more likely a re-
buke to the President for trying to
control an election. This is still a
republican form of government, with
three separate and distince branches,
the most important of which is the
Legislative. The people recognize
this, and they will tolerate no exc
cutive dictation in election of sena-
tors and representatives. To estab-
fish the precedent of defeating a
man because he NETS the displeasure
of the President would be to make
subsevient tools of considerable
number of members of congress.
This, of course, the people of the
country do not want done. They
want men, not rubber stamps, in
congress. Huddlstton voted wrong a
good many times, but it is no worse
to be wrong than to be a mere non
entity, a puppet, an echo, rubber
stamp, messenger, or any other
kind of lacky for somebody else.
A man who has changed his mind
as often as Woodrow Wilson has, is
in no position to condemn any man
for not agreeing with him. And the
people know it. President Wilson
will get the unlimited support of the
country, regardless of party, when
he is standing for the best inter
ests of the nation. but the people
are more interested in standing by
the government than they are in
| standing by the President
To FRAGILE
Senator Jones, of New Mexico,
succeeded in getting three-q quarters
of an inch of publicity in the Wash
ington Post recently, which he will
be at liberty to clip and send to a
breathless constituency. 1t men
tons a resolution presented by him
rendering the thanks of congress to
the men of the army and navy for
their fighting abroad. The men ov-