Show CONGRESS DOING NOTHING special correspondence washington dec 23 the matter with congress like a powerful locomotive straining in every joint and throbbing trob bing with life plunging into a snow bank it entered the session under a full head of atam and with every indication that the session would bo characterized by the transaction of business with a snap and vim seldom seen but as the particles of snow so soft and white and apparently powerless by gently drifting into the machinery checks the speed and brings the great locomotive putting to a standstill so congress finds its way impeded by a thousand difficulties which have softly operated to stop its onward career it is now time for it to back up and during the holidays accumulate a new head of steam to again into the mass of legislation lying inert before it after the recess what has congress done to date in addition of the liveliest kind of a session the committees usually not selected until after the recess were announced some time since they will be organized in time to take bold immediately after the holidays but as et have been unable to accomplish much the net result therefore of congress labors in the anto hollday period aside from the introduction of some thousands of bills has been the pas cage ft the panama canal tion and bond bill and the reporting of the philippine tariff bill by the ways and means committee railroad legislation scheduled to go through with a whoop has been safely sidetracked for vw present at least the senate committee which held hearings last spring that it might have 9 bill framed by the opening ot congress Is atall wrestling with the problem with no signs of reaching conclusion the house has spent a week discussing life insurance and national control with incidental speeches on other topics for home consumption during the next campaign otherwise than mentioned little has been done but we are promised great things when congress reconvenes for there are all sorts of measures pressing tor attention A novel reason Is given for choking off the ship subsidy or subvention to UBO a more euphonious name bill which ie that uncle joe cannon tears that it will precipitate a als luceion of the tariff on steel because the abeel trust sells plates to the ship builders on the cylde tor forty percent less than to american erb it is not intended at this time to discuss the merits of the ship subsidy proposition further than to sy that if congress sanctions by inaction the robbery of americans seeking to build ships and americans engaged in con strutting ting ships in american shipyards by other americans engaged in making steel plates justice would appear to demand that congress should extend a helping hand to the sufferers the steel trust should not be allowed to have it all buter cannon could scarcely advance such a pearile reason for opposing the shipping bill tor he knows as well as any one that it is impossible to prevent a discussion of the tariff it is like banquot banquo a ghost further than that and his ts a tact so important that it is strange it has been generally overlooked the dingley tariff provides that for ships built to engage in foreign trade gaeel plates may be imported tree so that the american shipbuilders ship builders can buy bla plates abroad it he so desires moreover uncle joe knows perfectly well that in general debate on the appropriation bills any subject under the sun can be discussed and that much will be said on the tariff this winter whether there is any shipping bill or not if that were not opposing this measure the tact that he has consented to the philippine tariff bills is for athla bill directly opens the way for all the discussion of the tariff that can be crowded into the short almu that will be allowed for debate speaking of tho philippine tariff bill I 1 venture the prediction that W will eventually create as much of a row as the cuban reciprocity measure its backing cames largely from alie same source As general wood influenced fluen ced the president to demand cuban reciprocity so secretary taft who governed the philippines as wood did cuba has secured administrations support for his bill in both cases the benefit to the aliens was to b ahad at the expense of the american tobacco and sugar abo uban bill waa forced through con gresak gre sab y cheer weight of the administrations trat ions influence and as tar as this country is concerned has proven a rank failure the imports of cuban sugar cigars and tobacco have increased wonderfully but our exports to the island are increasing ery slowly the sugar trust swallows two thirds of the reduction on and the plantation owners get the balance while the price to consumer in the united states Is higher than before last echelon the committed on ways and boang tt similar bill much more unfavorable to iho american interests in fact than the pres enec with only gnp apte in the negative nega tivo and it was rushed through the houe with scanty opportunity for debate and and substantially no opposition this year it baiely escaped being killed in committee tho final vote being seven to five representative babcock of wisconsin for alvo terms the successful chairman of the republican congressional committee doted against the mca lean while aiom forty to sixty republicans in tho house have declared their intention of voting the bill this change of front means something and it is not difficult to guess that it means that sentiment on the subject is changing an appeal to the chivalry and generosity of the americans always meets a hearty response and congress was ready to let down the bars to the lost session but hard business sense should be consulted by philanthropy and the question as to whether it is wise to open our markets to seven million aliens at tho best only a few degrees removed aiom savagery is now being seriously considered by the statesmen it may sound well and appeal to the sensational side of america but is it a wise business policy there appears to be danger in the ahead too fast only recently released from the corruption ot spanish rule emandi from the domination of the friars it is now proposed to give them the glad hand and welcome them with open arms like a long biot brother first free trade second the ballot for the same arguments apply tho experience of the republican party in enfranchising the negroes serve as a warning against favors upon peoples who are not in a position to appreciate them the decision on the part of the leaders to jam it through the committee and through the house at the earliest possible moment consequently the hearings were hurriedly called and held and the bill reported and at that it was nearly defeated in the committee representative needham republican of california is one of those who believes cuban is a one sided argument he voted for the philippine tariff bill in the ways ana means committee but before doing so offered an amendment to depeal the cuban reciprocity act which chairman payne ruled out on the ground that it was not germane mr needham also voted to make the reduction fifty percent instead of twenty five percent in the end however he voted for the payne bill otherwise the vote would have been a tie and the bill would not have been reported in explaining his position mr needham said to your correspondent when the amendment was proposed for a fifty percent rate on sugar and tobacco I 1 voted for it on the theory that we would be doing substantial justice for both sides of the question personally I 1 would have preferred ft fifty percent bill but as this was without the range of possibility I 1 did not propose to vote against the bill entirely 1 I propose to offer la the bouso after the holiday recess a bill replacing the cuban reciprocity treaty continued mr needham my theory is that cuba is not under our flag and tho working of the reciprocity arrangement has been a loss of revenue on cuban exports to this country we have not gained any trade from its operation all or a majority of cubas trade Is going to england and europe and cuba does not appreciate the motive which actuated this government to so favor her in trade matters it do not know whether my bai will be received with any degree of favor by tho house but it it does not pasi it will at least servo a a notice to bubo cubo hat it she expect sto continue our good will she should look with more favor upon our markets and patronize them to a greater extent than she Is now doing representative davedson Dav ldson or wisconsin in an interview with your codrea pon dent bald that while he believed this government should do all in its power to encourage the in agricultural pursuits and in the development ot the cultivation of tobacco and sugar within their bordere h would not under any vote for a reduction 0 duty on imports of to bacco and sugar if he was positively certain such reduction would work an injury to the producers and manufacturers to products in the united states the bill Is scheduled to come up in the bouso immediately atter the re begg and this haste evidences the weakness of those behind it assurances bad been given that the committee would not take the matter up until at ter the holidays but the display of strength made by the led to 1 I feel it to be my first duty as a member of congress and a representative of the people who elected me to protect my home indus majd mr davidson it I 1 were certain beyond a doubt that ihla action would ba detrimental ri to the tobacco and sugar in of wisconsin I 1 bould not hesitate for a moment to vole against the reduction in duty as proposed by the fayne bill I 1 intend to carefully con alder thy provisions of the bill and look into the effect it will have on the sugar and tobacco producers of my state after carefully considering the matter as I 1 intend to should I 1 feel that the proposed legislation would be injurious to the tobacco and sugar in teresta of not only my own state but of the country as a whole I 1 shall vole against euch action as I 1 do not think we should sacrifice our home industries for the benefit of tha |