Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-12
Speculation as to What Will Be
Said to Congress.
THE PRESIDENTS DIFFICULT TASK
What is Said by Democrats Of All
Kinds.
NO KEYNOTE NEEDED NOW

The announcement that the President has
taken pen in hand to prepare his annual
message to Congress has set large num-
ber of politicians speculating as to what the
communication may prove to be.
The Presidents task this time Is conceded
to be difficult, even by his friends. He can
not, in their opinion, neglect reference to
the verdict of the people just rendered at
the polls and yet he cannot treat 1t with
any degree Of adequacy without re-engag-
ing the leaders Of that faction Of his party
with whom he has but recently been con-
tending. How will he manage this? The
very suggestion Of further factional fight
ing in the democratic ranks arouses many
Of the old leaders of that party to express
sions Of the most energetic protest These
men are already studying the stars for
1896, and as they read the answer found
there they are profoundly impressed with
the necessity Of genuine and immediate
party union. Longer internecine strife
means to them the making permanent by
the people the temporary injunction just
granted by them against further action by
the democracy with regard to the economic
policy OF the government
The Peoples Comprehensive Verdict.
From another quarter comes this inquiry:
What can the President say on the subject
which will not involve himself as much as
1t will those prominent members Of his
party with whom he has lately been at diff
ferences? The peoples verdict is most COM
prehensive. No democratic leader or idea
seems to have escaped. New York, New
Jersey. Maryland and Ohio all felt the blow,
and this, 1t is asserted. answers as a rebuke
of Mr.. Murphy, Mr.. Smith, Mr.. German and
Mr.. Brice for what the President criticised
in them while the tariff bill was before the
Senate. On the other hand, West Virginia,
Cnrnl 1.-Two and oil Stntlx
interested in the question of free raw ma
terial, turned their backs on the democracy,
and this, 1t is claimed, is direct repudia-
ton OF the Presidents policy as emphasized
in the long fight made by Chairman Wilson
while the tariff bill was in conference.
The POpgun Bills.
From still a third quarter comes an as
sertion that whether the President chooses
to renew the fight at this time or not, moth
ing will be done by Congress this winter on
the tariff question. The popgun bills are on
the Senate's table and cannot even be taken
up without contest. Mr.. Wilson. the Pres
idents champion, has been eliminated from
the equation. He is member of the House
Now, it is asked, what democratic leader in
the Senate can be depended on to make the
hSnt for those bills in that body, assuming
that the President asks il, that Mr. Wilson
made for them in the House? Not Mr.. Cor
man; not Mr.. Faulkner, with the returns
from West Virginia ringing in his ears; nor
yet Mr.. Smith, nor Mr.. Brice, both of whom
are reported to be stone deaf since the
thunderclaps in New Jersey and Ohio. So,
reference or no reference by the President
i'll his message to what is still unredeemed
by the democracy in the way of campaign
promises on the tariff, there are prominent
democrats who believe that for the present
the part of wisdom and safety for the party
Is the policy of silence and inaction. They
want the oars unshipped and TO let the boat
urlIt for awhile.
Ought to Wait u Year.
The men who suggest this policy deny
that it implies an abandonment of the tar
iff question in an Incomplete state by their
party. AS they view the situation the
fight should not be renewed until next
year. when. :he republicans coming into
power, at least in the House of Representa-
tives, the issues for the presidential cam
paign Irust be defir ed. Mr.. Reed, as Speak
er of the House and as a prospective pres
idential candidate, will be obliged to put
his party on record. and then will be the
time for campaign keynote from the
President callag the democracy to battle.
The President will be expected to do this
thing for his party, whether he is to stand
for another term in the White House or
not. He Will still be the partys leader, and
theno will attach to his message in any cir
cumstances that year an Importance which
he sfould bear in mind. The republicans at
least will refer to 1T in the campaign that
is to follow, and for this reason, if for no
other, the document, there are democrats
insisting &, should be one of force and the
utnC est ComprehensiveLess
The men who are advertising this view
Of things are neither Cleveland democrats
nor enti-Cleveaad democrats. They are
men who are waking up to the great neces-
sity of making deep hole i'll the ground
and burying the factional hatchet But
ardent as they are in expressing them
selves they seem to be at as much of n
loss anybody else as to what to expect
And they are awaiting with as much anx-
iety as anybody else to see how the Pres
ident acquits himself of the exceedingly
tlcklish job he now has on hand.