The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-11-29
PRESSING FOR AN
EXTRA SESSION
Financial Interests OF the East Anxious
Tor Legislation.
JN0. T. THURST0N OPPOSED
GCKlnlCy Desires That the Money QueS-
ton be Sh0lVad.
RATIFICATION OF PEACE TREATY
Claimed to Be an Assured Fact by the
Friends of the Administration
Many Democrats Will
Vote for 1t.
RATIFICATION OF PEACE TREATY
BY ARCHIBALD w. Rurr

Washington November 2S-(Special.)-
The week before the reassembling of con-
gress is usually dull one here. 1t is par
ticularly SO this fall This is due largely
to the uncertainty that prevails as to the
policy of the administration during the
coming session. The best posted leaders
seem to be utterly at sea as to how much
the administration will attempt to accom-
plish. Opinions vary greatly as to the
probability of an extra session. 1t would
seem that the president himself is at sea as
to what will be done or how much can be
accomplished, and therefore is in ignor-
apce as to whether there will be an extra
SESSION.
The financial interests of the east are
pressing for an extra session. Every re-
publican senator who sees the president
straightway gives an interview expressing
the belief that one is not only not neces-
sary, but should be avoided Senator
Thurston who has just reached Washing ton
bitterly opposes the extra session idea. 1t
is very clear that the administration and
lis immediate friends desire to shelve the
financial question until some far distant
day, trusting to the hope that things may
SO shape themselves that it will not be
necessary to open that question at all
until after the next presidential nominal
ton. The president is beset on two sides
however. The free silver men are pressing
the issue to the front and the gold men
are even still more urgent to revamp the
currency question. The administrat ton will
prove it's seafaring genius if it can sail
safely between these two opposing factions.
The gold democrats and those of the
publicans who put this question above all
o.hers have opened their bureau here again
and are actively at work preparing PAM
phlets and articles for the press. When
ever this bureau is started going, it is
warning to whoever is in power that some
thing must be done.
Mckinley Stands firm
The currency reform propagandists are
daily at the white house trying to get the
president to embody in his message some
Recommendations for currency reform.
They are also urging him to commit him
self to the extra session in order to have
these recommenda tions carried out. So
far he has set argument with argument
and has not given away an inch. But for
that matter neither have they.
This is only one of the many wheels
which are revolving in the wheel here. The
army wants an extra session, too. 1t does
not want the Philippine question to grow
that big increase in the army. All depart
ments and factions which have axes to
grind want to grind them soon as pos
sible and not put 1t off until December, a
year. The president is well worried but
having the happy faculty of letting things
drift along he will not try to solve prob
lens until they present themselves in their
last stages or cross any bridges until he
comes to them.
Thurston an Expansionist
Senator Thurston, who last year. opposed
the annexation of the Hawaiian is ands, has
now developed into expansionist and
favors retaining the Philippines and pre-
diets that within a short time (by requesD
that Cuba will be annexed. Mr.. Thurston
is very close to the president and speaks as
one having authority. He predicts that the
treaty will beratifed. He has no idea that
any republican will vote against it and
names a number of democrats who will
vote for 1t. He was opposed to expansion
originally, he said, but the matter has been
determined for us, he thinks, and that 1t
Is as necessary, to annex the Philippines as
II is to guarantee good government to
Cuba.
He takes very optimistic view of the
situation and explains his conversion on the
same ground that Saul of Tarsus was con-
verted, to-wit: That he can no longer kick
against the pricks "Such is my belief in
an All-Ruling Providence that believe God
has chosen this country as His vessel to
carry enlightenment across the waters;
possibly to Christianize the east. To vote
against annexing the Philippines now would
be to fight the providence of God.
Some of our party" he said, "are fear
ful lest the annexation of the Philippines
may bring about the defeat of the party in
1900. This is no reason to shirk this re-
sponsibility. Having planted the banner OF
freedom on that downtrodden Archipelago
! would look upon the defeat OF the repub-
--can party as vicarious sacrifice for the
good of mankind. II the party never did
anything more than extend the love of Free