The Atlanta constitution., 1900-08-27

Washington, August 23.-(Special)-
There is a strong possibility of congress
being called together in extraordinary
session. For some days the president
has been considering this and has.
through letters. been sounding prominent
republican leaders. The views of a num-
ber of these have already been received,
but 1t is probable that no final decision
will be reached for q few days yet. within
which time others will be heard from.
There Is a division of opinion in the re-
plies which have been received In re-
sponse to the presidents inquiries. some
republicans being strongly of the opinion
that the president should summon con-
gress and place upon its shoulders the
responsibility for the future policy of
the government in China, while others
are strongly opposed to an extra session
on political grounds. The president is
understood to incline toward the extra
session idea, while Senator Hanna and
some of the other active politicians take
the other view of IL.
Announcement was made today that the
president would not be able to leave
for Chicago tomorrow, as he had intend
ed, to attend the Grand Army of the
Republic cncampment The explanation
is that the condition of affairs in China,
as revealed particularly by the dis
patches from Conger and Chaffee which
have not been given to the public. Is such
as to necessitate his remaining at the
seat of government. IT is probable that
the presidents chief reason for remaining
In Washington Is that the next rev
days will be full of conferences over
this subject of an extra session. or
course in its consideration the chief prob
lem with the president and his advisers
IS as to which course will be the better
politics from an administration stand
point Senator Hanna and other leaders
who have up to the present time been
hooting at the idea of any necessity
for an extra session have taken that po-
sition because they fear that the assem-
bling of congress viii accentuate politi-
cal questions and will give the democrats
an opportunity of arraigning the admin
istration for q lot of its sins. The abso-
Lutte failure of the republicans to do any
thing toward the further development
of the Cuban scandals and the admins
tration programme with regard to the
Philippines are matters which the re-
publican leaders do not want to have
aired at this time. More than this, how
ever. is the conviction of republican
leaders that so far the democrats have
not been able to get the public to consider
political questions because the Chinese
situation has absorbed attention, and
they fear that with congress in session
politics will necessarily be given the more
prominent place.
In a sense the republican leaders realize
that they are between the devil and the
deep sea. Up to the present time there
has been practically no criticism of the
course of the president with regard to
the rescue of Americans in China, but
many republicans feel that he will make
a great mistake if he permits the use
of American troops for rurtner operations
over there, save. of course, those of a
purely defensive character. The promise
he laid down in his note of July Sd Is
regarded as Involving this government
in the work of establishing a stable gov
ernment for China, and there is grave
doubt even in the presidents mind,
whether the executive has the authority
to do this without direct sanction of
congress. A number of those whom he
has consulted have advised that ii would
be better to risk any danger of politics
growing out of an extra session rather
/, than for him to assume the full response
bility for future policy. especially in view
of the doubt as To his authority.
AS he has demonstrated in all similar
crises, President Mckinley is anxious to
get line on public sentiment before
making up his own mind wnat he will
do. lie has hoped that peace and quiet
would follow Immediately upon the res
cue of the ministers. but the advices
he has received Indicate not only that
conditions I'm PelSin are still chaotic, but
that there Is grave danger of trouble
spreading throughout the entire empire
1t was his extreme anxiety for peace
which led to his reply to III Hung Chang
being couched in the mildest possible
language consistent with his ideas OF the
conditions If 1t were certain that other
governments with whom we have been
acting are as anxious for peace as We
are further trouble might be averted, but
the attitude of some of the other gov
ernments which have an eye to territory
is not as favorable to peace, and as we
are In a sense involved with them, the
outlook for early peace and quietude is
not as favorable as 1t might be.
All these things have conspired toward
the consideration of the extra session
proposition. The republicans Will avoid
II If they possibly can. but those who
are most strongly against II fear that
the developments of the near future may
make II necessary.