The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-02
EXTRA SESSION GOSSIP.

4
bers now in the city are not prepared Il
| give definite decision as to the advisable
! ity of an extra session of congress Repre-
sentative Dockery of Missouri, for in
stance, says that it is too early to discuss
the matter, and Mr.. Breckenridge, o
| Arkansas, admits that his mind is no
made up.
! eve still continue to convene congress
! thirteen months after election" said he
''even though the ancient conditions o
| tedious and difficult travel, which made
such delay necessary have long since beer
| superseded by methods Of swift locOmo
| ton. If, as ought to be the case, an IN
| coming congress met Immediately after The
| adjournment OF an expiring body, no one
/ would view with doubt the proposition
| which now seems TO agitate mems minds
! 1t is simply the fact that an extra session
| IS unusual that makes it sensational, and
| gives a shock, which may be ill-founded
/ TO business confidence. We must avoid
| above all things, the creation of any dis
| trust which might complicate the finances
of the country, which are not In a desirable
! condition, to say the least"
But would not this same uncertainty be
| felt next December if congress postponed
its work Of reforming the tariff until that
! timer"
mo; because in the meantime the con
dition of affairs might change The rev
enues might be in Il better condition and
the country better prepared for a change.
! There is no question but that the people
| desire a change. The question is, whether
/ they want it in the ordinary course oi
events or demand an extra session, which
may result in crude legislation"
The doubt that is IN the mind of Repre-
sentative Breckenridge does not exist with
Representative Livingston, of Georgia, W no
Is positive that it is imperatively needed.
Mr.. Livingston would have the extra ses-
sion begin at 1905 o'clock on March if he
could have his way, for he said TO a Post
reporter yesterday:
I'VE secured votes upon the promise to
reduce taxation. We must keep our
pledges You cannot fool the people
They have been educated up to the point
OF believing that a high tariff means rob-
berry, and Mr.. Cleveland has done as much
as anybody toward their education. We
must begin to outline our policy as soon
as possible or the people will have no con-
fidence in us"
Representative Sayers of Texas, lead
Ing Democratic member of the appropria-
tions committee, has a clear-cut idea of the
policy that. should be pursued by the party
TO which he belongs. An extra session :"
he says. should be held, the house or
ganized, the committees appointed, and
then the ways and means and the banking
and currency committee authorized TO SIT
during the recess. The house should then
adjourn TO meet in the following October
or December, when the tariff DILL would be
introduced ard referred to the committee
on ways and means, which would report it
on the following day. A month could then
be allowed for inspection of the bill by in
dividual members, and then the dscu ssion
of its items could begin. This could ex-
tend over another month and then the
measure could be passed and sent to the
senate. 1t seems 10 me that this would be
plain, practical, commOn-sense pro-
gram"
'It is said that the house might not ad-
jOurn as soon as the committees were an
nounced."
"a resolution reported from the ways
and means committee fixing the day Of
adjournment would undoubtedly be
agreed to. The session need not be I'M
necessarily prolonged"
And you would have the banking and
currency committee also in session ~
"Yes. This committee during the next
four years will be as important as the
ways and means committee. The legisla-
ton which 1t proposes will be of far-reach-
ing character and will deal with the most
vital questions. A prolonged session of
this committee, with the mass of testi-
mony that it could accumulate, would re-
suit in financial bills of great value TO the
country"
Senator VOORHEES, gives it as his deliber-
ate opinion that, congress should be con-
yened Immediately after the 4th of March.
He does not believe in unnecessary pro-
crastination i'll reforming the tariff.
Mr. Bynum thinks the administration
will be sufficiently embarrassed without
having congress here.