Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-12-30
AN EXTRA SESSION
THE ACTION OF THIS COSsRESS NAT RENDER
IT NECESSARY.
Failure to Pass the Carlisle Currency Bill or 10
Provide For the Enforcement Of the Income Tax
Law Night Cause the President 70 COnvoks the
Fify-FoUrh Congress


talk of an early extra session OF the
Fifty-fourtb Congress has been revived
at the Capitol by the contingencies,
which may arise. growing out Of the
failure OF necessary legislation to pass
at the present session. Upon two pend
ing bills, it Is generally believed, haags
! the question of whether Mr.. Cleveland
will convoke the new Congress soon
after the death of the Fifty-third, on
March 4. Thess two bills are the ur-
gent deficiency appropriation oil,
which contains the appropriation for
carrying the income tax into effect and
WAich is pending in the Senate, and the
Carlisle currency bill, which is under
debate in the House, and the fate OF
which will be decided soon after tine
House reconvenes, January 3.
The opponents of the income tax, led,
it is understood, by Senators Hill and
Quay. will make desperate fight in
the Senate and will exhaust every par
lIamentary expedIent to defeat II. Mr..
Quay, it is SAID, has added largely to
the accumulated speech with which he
proposed talking the Tariff bill to death
a. the last session unless certain con-
cessions were made in the wool sched-
ule, and Is prepared to stand a long
siege. He already has enough manu-
script, IL is said, TO consume months
,, time Of the Senate, aud with a proper
support believes the efforts OF the In
come tax opponents will be successful.
Many Democratic members OF the
Senate, however, affect 10 believe that
that the ultimate defeat OF the bill be-
fore adjournment is impossible. II ii
should fail, an extra session would be
imperative If the administration pro-
poses TO make the income tax operative.
The currency bill offered by the ad-
ministrStion as a means OF partially re-
leving the treasury, is regarded as OF
paramount importance. The condition
OF the treasury is critical. The gold re-
serve is dwindling rapidly and another
bond issue is regarded as inevitable II
nothing is done TO prevent the present
drain Of gold. Mr.. Cleveland, 1t Is un-
derstood on high authority, is very
much in earnest in his desire for some
legislation at this session TO relieve the
treasury, and il IL is not forthcoming
there are many who believe be will i'm
msdlAtey convoke the Fifty-fourth
Congress and ask the needed relief OF
his political adversaries. IL must not
be forgotten, however, that there are
many OF the Republican leaders who
are opposed TO any tactics which will
make an extra session necessary. They
believe from a political standpoint that
IL would be bad policy, and will not en-
courage or even abet any move looking
TO that end.
Should Mr.. Cleveland call an extra
session he will be the second President
since the war to con Vene Congress In
extraordinary session twice during his
term OF Office. Until Mr.. Cleveland
convoked the extra session In August OF
last year, no extra session had been
called since 1879, when Mr.. Hayes called
an extraordinary session Two weeks
after his inauguration. That session
was forced by several riders which the
Democrats, who had control OF the
House, had placed on the Army Apprc-
priation bill One of them repealed the
law permitting soldiers at the polls. AL
though the Democrats had elected q mar
row majority TO the ensuing House on
that occasion the brief time allowed by
Mr.. Hayes for the epresentatives-elec
to reach Washington 1.-TWO weeks made
IL almost mpossible for them TO organize
the House. The Democratic National
Committee ran a special train across
the continent from Oregon 10 bring
Representative Whitaker here in time
to vote There was much excite
ment at the time, following as IL did on
the heels OF the Hayes-Tilden contro-
versy; but the special train arrived In
season, beating all records on transcon-
tinental travel up to that time. An
other episode OF that organization was
the dramatic and tragic entrance into
the House OF Representative Lay, OF
Missouri, who was very I'll, and was
carried TO the Capitol on stretcher
that he might complete the vote neces-
sary to make Samuel j. Randall Speak
or. He voted, but was carried from the
cham Der never to enter It again.
or course there would be DO necessity
for such heroic means OF procuring the
attendance OF members from the remote
corners OF the country II there should
be an extra session OF the Fifty-fourth
Congress called almost Immediately
after the sine die adjournment OF the
Fifty-third, as the Republican majority
in the House is overwhelming. But as
the Senate will be close, There might
be something exciting in the organiza-
ton OF the upper House.