The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-09
Washington Bureau ST. Paul Globe, J
CoFcoron RuiidiRQ (

| fourthS of the states, but as there is
! an aggressive labor organization with
/ considerable power in every part of
! the country, it is likely within the
| reach Of possibility that the amend
ment would go through, and the first
! addition made TO the constitution to
| the United States, except as a war
measure. for nearly a century. Mr
| Lowering does not claim to be the
! originator of the idea.
At least three other MasSa chusetts
! congressman have introduced the same
kind of a measure. Mr.. Barrett in the
last congress. Mr.. Gillett the congress
before and Mr.. Davis a decade or so
ago. This does not encourage the view
that the amendment will be imme-
! diately adopted Mr. Barrett, when
| asked how he happened to let Mr..
Lowering take this ammunition away
from him, declared that he was too
old a man to think of bringing about
an amendment TO the constitution in
! his lifetime. Mr.. Barrett is thirty nine
years old. But the necessity for a
uniform regulation in regard to the
hours Of labor was seemingly never SO
great as now, with the tremendous
cotton mill depression in New Eng
land. 1t is the commonly eXpresseu
opinion of the large manufacturers
who come here that either the labor
laws of Massachusetts and New York
will have to be relaxed somewhat, or,
| in the close competition of hard times,
business will go to localities where en-
ployers are less hampered.
OF course the number of hours of
labor is the great point. and they now
vary from fifty-eight in some states 10
SeVenty-two per week in others. Mr..
Lowering is quite enthusiastic over the
| reception his amendment is receiving,
and is far from believing that he At
the age of sixty is too old to live TO
see 1t adopted.
Constitution OF Hawaii.
The other amendments to the cOnstl-
tuition, for which resolutions have been
introduced into congress this session,
| are not so favorably situated. 1t is an
interesting fact that the constitution
of Hawaii, in common with that OF
the late Confederate States Of America.
! gives a siX-year term to the president
| of the Republic and makes him ineli-
| gible to reelection. This is the aim Of
Mr.. Fitzgerald's amendment, but no
| one suppOses that it will be reported
| from the committee, even though the
| imitators of our constitution have al
most invariab bly, incorporated this idea
| Senator Hoar's amendment, to change
| the date of inauguration from March
to April 80 has received much favora-
| bic notice in the newspapers. If that
change should be made, however, it
would be wise at the same time to re-
| wise the whole congressional calendar
| AS things now stand, it would be a de-
| cided disadvantage to prolong, by eight
| weeks. the time between the election
| of a president and his Inauguration.
| From November till March is too long.
| 1t Is relic of the slow methods Of
! transportation and communication in
/ vogue 100 years ago. These four months
constitute a period within which no
| political party Is in the fullest sense
responsible for the affairs of govern
ment. If a party lost at the polls in
| November, it may go ahead and carry
out almost any Of its policies in the pc
Rod that remains and there is no way
| for the voting public to restrain them
| or punish them. The Hawaiian islands
came very near being annexed in this
manner in the winter of 1929 While
the weather would be much more favor
! able for the inaugural parade on the
30 Of April-a day which, besides com
memorating Washington's installation
to the presidential office, illustrates the
| behindhind methods Of the old confed
eration-the plan has it's advantages.
1t would be a very bad time for con-
! gress, If called in extra session, to IN
5 dertake its work with the hot summer
so near at hand There are many other
|
even more In need Of correction than
the unhappy selection of an inaugIra-
ton day. 1t Is ridiculous to elect a man
| to congress in November Of one yaor
! and have him take his seat the Decem-
Der of the year following. 1t is absurd
to get him here the first of December
and as soon as he has settled down
IN MS work, to send him back for three
| weeks vacation over the HOLIDAYS
The Short Session.
But for an expiring congress tba
| short session that remains between no
| cember and March, after the elections
nave taken place, is one of remarka bic
utility. Some of the best Iaw-making
is done at such times. After a party
| in control of the house has been de-
feated in the November elections. and
/ 1t sees that but four months Of Iegis-
| latfve power remain, 1t Is quite likely
to grapple courageously with questions
| which 1t has been before too tinoid ia
! touch. The act for the RESUMPTION Of
| specie payments and also for the
| establishment of the present civil sary-
! Ice reform system both came about in
this way. 1t is quite possible that the
! snort session beginning next December
| may do something for currency reform
J or at least will go so far as to commit
! the Republican party squareIy to that
( issue. Inc trouble now with CURRENCY
reform is that congress and the public
! are not fully awake to its needs, and
/ so on one side Of the house we have
/ indifference and tfmidlty. and on the
| other side defiant opposition, united
| for free silver. When inquiry is made
| as to why the Republican party does
| not push vigorously for currency re-
| form, it is not the proper answer to
say that the senate is so desperate, but
| the Indifference Of the house leaders is
! the first and greater obstacle
They do not as yet believe that re-
! forms in our currency system are alb
! solutely necessary to the proper main
| tenance of the existing gold standard.
| although the party has made great ad-
! vance in that particular in the last
year. Mr.. Cannon, the chairman of the
| appropriation committee, evidently
! thinks currency reform a myth If we
! have revenue enough, he believes there
will be no trouble, and the government
will be doing it's full duty to let things
/ alone.
/ Senator Thurston, of Nebraska, a.
( Union League Club of Baltimore last
week that he was thankful to say that
10 further currency agitation or dis
cussion was desirable or necessary
I This is a somewhat prevailing opinion
nor Is there much evidence that the
larger public outside of congress is any
more aroused on the subject. AS one
representative facetiously remarked
There are just two men in my district
who want currency reform; one is an
Indianapolis conference delegate, who
writes me about six letters a week on
the subject, and myself"