The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-11-08
News ano Gossip Of Washington
BY Iuc1EN JULIEN WALKER.

Washington. Nov Especial. Now
that Ii evident the Republicans Will con-
troll the next House Of Representative II
10 timely to emphasize the opinion mere
tofore expressed in this Correspondents.
upon the authority Of a man eminent IN
public affairs. that President Roosevelt
will early next spring summon Congress
into extraordinary session for the purpose
Of passing q tariff revision act.
Reflection will convince one tnat an
extra session. In the circumstances. IL the
most likely thing in politics at this time.
Mr.. Roosevelt's personal prestige Is now
at its meridian. and 1t Ia force SO ire
mendous as to beat back the power OF
popular disapproval Of the kepupncan
Party at the very moment OF what SEEM
ed unprecedented disaster. You were
warned to expect this. and now all men
as one man see 1t and acclaim Roosevelt
as the savior Of his party. His great
personality checked the rapidly ascending
side OF the scale almost at the level OF the
beam. And thus we have more Of
albeit a victory that IS half defeat
Mr. Roosevelt 10 now not only the
master Of his party. but Is cenfessedly
greater than his party. thus verifying for
the second time in eighteen years fact
in politics hooted at by the unwise-that
a man may be greater than his party.
The Presidential election Is Is two years
off and Its result beyond the wit of man
to calculate. The only certain. already
ascertained, fact about II Is Is that Mr..
Roosevelt will be the Republican nomi-
nee. while he Is ambitious to be his
own successor, he Is also ambitious to
accomplish something In the meantime
As yet he has failed utterly to shape
legislation. The only part he has played
In any act Of Congress mas been the sign
Ing of his name. His most cherished pur-
pose, reciprocity with Cuba Is no further
advanced than when he took the oath OF
office. although he exhausted all his
power and all his art of entreaty to get
the reciprocity bill through Congress. His
army reorganization bill. his next most
ambitious measure. is growing musty in
a Senate committee room. while the
isthmian canal act which he wished DIFF
ferent is causing him graver anxiety
than any other question that has arisen
during his administration and bids fair
to soon arouse the whole American people.
In no great measure Is his influence
manifest, and II the Presidential CAM
paign were at hand he with all his
strength of will and ability to rule would
stand In the attitude of a President who
had accomplished nothing memorable.
And since he could do nothing with the
present Congress in the long session. as
suredly he can expect nothing from the
short session now about to begin.
Over the new Congress the President
viii probably have something like actual
control, and since he still wishes closer
relations with Cuba and still desires the
reorganization of the army, these ques-
tons would take up a great part of the
long session which will end as the Presi-
dental campaign begins. in the summer
of 1904. There would be no time for the
necessary discussion and passage of a
tariff revision law, leaving aside almost
certain discussions on account of the ca
nal question.
The President Is known to favor tariff
revision. He has said SO, and he is not
in the habit of saying things he doesn't
mean. In truth, his personal attitude on
this subject was the mainstay of Republi-
can candidates for Congress in the West.
TO the defeat Of only one candidate for
Congress is advocacy of tariff revision in
the smalleht degree attributable. and
oddly enough he was a Massachusetts
Republican who was beaten by a Demo-
cratic revisiorist, the latter not making
revision his only issue, as his competitor
did.
The President is not only revisionist,
| but he favors the creation of perma-
nent non-partisan tariff commission, as
has been said before So the value-one
| might say the necessity-to him of an
extra session Of the new Congress next
spring must appeal very powerfully.