The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-09-30
SPECIAL SESSIONS.
rhe Calling of Congress to Convene 70
Extraordinary Action.


rhe Calling OF Congress to Convene 70,
Extraordinary Action.
The special session of congress called !
,y President Cleveland opened on Au. T,
rust Z, and for the twelfth time in the |
history of the country that body is !
considering important business outside |
If its regular time for such work.
These special sessions are never |
,alled except when there is great need
If Immediate action on some question |
which congress only can take.
In the pprescnt instance great
financial question is involved, and it
las to be deci led whether or not the
United States government shall buy
l5o0 600 ounces of silver bullion each
month, as it has done since the act
authorizing such purchase was signed
by the president, July IA, 1890.
Briefly, the anticipated effect OF the
silver act, as it is called, was that silver
would thereby be made n permanent
standard of value in this country. and
that the United States would continue
bimctallic system OF currency.
But, rs the other great powers OF
the world did not have this double
standard Americans who bought for
eign goods abroad were obliged to pay
gold for them, and thus the drain upon
the fund of gold in the United States
became very great.
This country now finds itself with
large quantity of silver. which other
nations do not want in exchange, and
| very little gold, comparatively speak
ing. The result is that nearly every
one, except those who have silver to
sell. desires to sec congress repeal the
silver act.
The question is Il most important one.
as can be readily seen; indeed, it is not
often that u matter more closely affect
ing every one in this great country of
ours has claimed the attention of the
government in this way.
Former special sessions of congress,
| however, have all been interesting. and
it is particularly timely just now to
look back on them.
| Of the eleven of these special sessions
| President Adams called the first, in
! 1877, to consider the response this
country should make to the action OF
| France in ordering certain depreda-
! tions upon the shipping of the United
| States.
| The second was called by President
Jefferson, in 1903, to settle the question
regarding the disposition of Louisiana,
before then a foreign possession. -Four
| years later the same president again
convened congress in special session
because of foreign interference with
sailors on American vessels.
In 1911 President Madison summoned
congress in special session, the cause
being the troubles which finally cul.
minated in the war of 1872 with Great
Britain The conditions growing out
of that war made the same president,
in 1914, again call upon congress to con-
vene outside of it's regular period OF
meeting.
The suspension of specie payments
and the necessity for economy in the
conduct of the governments finances
led to the next special session, in 1887;
| as did financial issues also to that
called by President William II. Harri.
son in 1s41.
The need of money for army pur.
poses and the extent of the Federal
authority with regard to the enforce.
| I1ehC VI Stdtc lcS SlSIuulOu lctt W Uhe
succeeding special session, which Presi.
dent Pierce called.
In 1861, however. came the most i'm.
portant special session of all. This was
caused by the necessity for putting the
government in condition to carry on
the great struggle against the states
which had seeded, and was the occa.
sion for some magnificent displays OF
oratory.
Sixteen years later. in 1877, Preside nj
Hayes found it needful to call congress
together to consider matters of appro-
priation and the authority of the Fed.
eral forces in disputed elections. While
the eleventh special session was occa.
stoned by a lack of money to meet gen.
eral government expenses.
1t is not unlikely that the present
special session may also take into con.
sideration other matters beside that
for which it has been directly called, as
did nearly all previous special sessions.
However, the reason of President
Cleveland calling such a session now is
the need for action upon the one mat.
ter named, and it is that to which the
chief attention of congress will be di-
| rected. Fl C. Williams, in Golden Days.