Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-21
FcREcAsr or az SESSION.

The second and closing session Of the
present congress, which begins Deem
Der 1, will last about eleven weeks.
Ordinarily little business is uone at the
short session beyond the passing Of ap-
preparation bills, but perhaps the coming
session may prove an exception. This
is indicated by some of the forecasts of
congressman who are arriving In Wash
ington. 1t is the expectation that the
trust question, for one thing, will re-
ceive serious consideration. Repre-
sentative Hit of Illinois. chairman of
the committee on foreign affairs, said a
few days ago that there will certainly
be a report on the subject, whether any
legislation is enacted or not, and this
report will indicate the general trend of
thought on the part Of the republican
party and will show what may be ex-
pected in the future. The people are
looking for action by the present CON
gress for the regulation and supervision
of the great combinations and the under
standing is that the president will rec
ommend this. A mere report on the
subject, therefore. will not be satisfac-
tory to the public and the republican
leaders in ngr should see that to
defer legislation regarding the trusts for
another year, or until the next congress
could act, could hardly fail to be damag-
ing to the party.
There is another question that is also
urgent and should receive serious con-
sideration at the coming session, that of
amending the interstate commerce law
so as to enlarge the power Of the com
mission and render the act more eff
~fective. This is a matter Of not less
importance han trust regulation and as
measures are already before congress
providing for the amendment Of the law
there appears to be no valid reason why
there cannot be legislation to meet the
overwhelming public demand for
strengthening the Law so that the Inter
state Commerce commission shall not
longer be powerless to prevent prevail
ing abuses and violations Of the law on
the part of the railroads.
While these are the matters of chief
Importance calling for action at the
coming session. there are others that
should not be neglected. The question Of
a tariff commission of the character
already indicated by President Roose-
welt, and which it Is understood he will
recommend in his annual message, is one
of these. Another relates to currency
conditions in the Philippines, which are
an injury to both the government of the
islands and the commercial interests
there. The question Of reciprocity, par
ticularly as to Cuba, will be pressed
upon the attention of congress by the
president and ought to be definitely
determined and not permitted to re-
main as a source of controversy among
ourselves and irritation to the other
countries. If tire policy Of reciprocity
is to be abandoned, let 1t be so declared;
II not, 1t should be put into effect
without further temporizing. We should
not go on holding out the promise OF
reciprocity If we do not intend to full
fill 1t. The statehood bill for the adj
mission of Oklahoma, New Mexico and
Arizona should and very likely will be
passed at the coming session.
The promise therefore is that the
closing session of the hfty-seventh con
gress will be buster and more interest
ing than short sessions usually are and
there is reason to believe that in regard
to the more urgent and important mat
tiers demanding attention its delibera-
tons will not be altogether fruitless.