The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-22
ONE OF ACTION.
Short Session of Congress Likely To
Be Busy.


be one of action. 1t Will be about
three weeks before congress con-
venes, and meanwhile steps will be
taken by the majority leaders to ar
range a program which will facili-
tate business. The house commit
mittee on appropriations, which orig
mates appropriation bills. will begin
work on the 26th of this month. Had
the democrats carried the next house
there would have been motive on
the part of the minority to stave off
action on important matters with the
view of handling them in their own
way in the new congress and, per-
haps, of forcing the senate and the
president to terms in one direction
or another. AS the situation is,
however, there can be little reason
for the minority to resort to obstruc-
tive tactics and it is expected to be
the policy of the republicans to clear
Up matters which have hung over
from the first session, SO that the
next congress may be as free as pos
sible to deal with new questions
which are bound to arise.
The Nicaragua canal bill, which
has already been passed by the
house, is a special order for consider
alton in the senate one week from
the day congress convenes, and the
ship subsidy bill, which has not yet
been acted on by either house, is
ready for consideration by both
branches of congress. The proba-
bility is that both these bills will
pass during the coming session. They
are likely to go hand in hand, in
accordance with the broad policy of
commercial expansion which is al
ready inaugurated and toward which
the energies of the republican man
ayers promise to be directed during
the next four years. The acquisi-
ton of islands of commercial i'm
portance, the safeguarding of our in
terests in China, the encouragement
of ocean-carrying trade under the
American flag, through subsidy; the
construction OF the interOceanic
canal, and the firm establishment of
this nation as financial and com
mercial power among nations, are ex-
pected to result from republican tri-
umph. Toward this end policies
will be shaped, and it is not thought
that any time will be lost
1t is essential that there should
be legislation to maintain the army
at least at it's present strength, and
while there will probably be resist
ance on the part of the minority
merely for the sake of appearing
consistent, a reorganization bill will
be passed before the end of the SEES.
sion in all probability. The bill
adopted will probably not be the Hull
bill of the last session as it is, but
one now being prepared by the de.
partment, which Mr.. Hull will intro
duce at the opening of the session
1t is impossible to say at this time
what the members of the minority
will do with reference to this meas
ure. The session being short, their
power of obstruction will be great il
they agree among themselves to eX
ercise it. The law under which the
10, ;,,A, g.
continuance at the present force tC
July !, 1901, and in the absence OF
other legislation the army would
have to be reduced to about 27,OO(
after that date. Consequently. fail
ure of legislation before the 4th OF
March, when this congress adiourns
would necessitate an extra session tc
take action before the present force
should be disbanded If the demo
Gratis should conclude to Obstruct
legislation II would obviously be fol
the purpose of forcing an extra ses
sion, which would be called for tho
purpose of making permanent the in
especial attention to this legislation
with the hope of making, politica
capital. Should it develop that this
is their attention, the republicans
will probably meet the situation b,
proposing at this time merely an eX
tension of the present law for one
year.
1t is not believed that the situa
tion OF affairs in the Philippines will
be such as to admit of Legislation
looking to government of perma
nent character for those islands al
this session. and whether anything
will be done with reference to Cuba
depends upon the result of the Gu
ban constitutional convention. Should
a satisfactory form of government,
be provided for by that convention
the action should be reported to con