Arizona republican., 1903-10-09
An AntiQuated Law.

Washington dispatches state that President Roosevelt has had prepared for him an exhaustive brief Of the constitutional and statutory provisions governing the time of holding sessions of congress, and that in his regular message in December there will be strong recommendation favorable to making the law conform to modern needs It is to be hoped that the re- port is true, and that the president will succeed in securing this reform This is a matter entirely within the scope of congress itself. the consutu- ton merely fixing the date for the ses- sions in default of action by congress-
 As everybody knows, the members of congress are elected in November, but their terms of office do not begin until the 4th of March following, period Of four months intervening. Worse than this, however. is the further wait for congress to meet The congress- man elected in November begins to draw pay the following March, but he does not enter upon active duty until the first of December-thirteen months after his election. The law making this absurd provision is antiquated and has been completely outgrown by the country. Before the days of rapid travel and communication, the fathers of the republic were impressed with the long time required for communica- 1 ton between the more distant parts of the republic as it then existed. With | the prophetic instinct which guided them in all their work they forcsaw the creation of states in remote sec i tions of the land, but they could not foresee the invention of railroads and | telegraphs. In the carly days 1t was necessary to give newly elected con- gressmen many months to acquaint themselves with public opinion and to arrange their private affairs for a jour ney to the distant capital, but today cur own territorial delegate and the 1 congressman from California. Oregon l and Washington, can be in Washing ton within a week after a call from 1 the president.
 1 Most students of American methods have condemned this outgrown law, as a result of which it is impossible for 1 people to execute their will for thir- teen months after a general congress sional election unless the president sees 1 fit to call a special session in the mean time.
 | In case Of reversal of the majority 1 in the house of representatives it is generally true that the adverse major ity is hostile to the administration. and for this reason it seems likely that the | sitting president would refuse to call an extra session in every case where new congress probably would enact laws not in harmony with his own views.
 Section of the first article of the constitution provides: "The congress shall assemble at least once in every
 year, and such meetings shall be on
 the first Monday in December unless
 they shall by law appoint different
 day.
 Under this section il would be pos
 sible for congress to begin it's new ses-
 sion at any time subsequent to the
 general election in November. There
 are many reasons why it seems desir-
 able to have the terms of senators ani
 members of the house begin on the 4ti
 day of March, so as to be in harmon3
 with the term of office Of the president It has been suggested. however, tha
 congr ess should meet regularly on tn, 4th day of March subsequent to tn. regular election. thus making the tern
 oi office of q member of congress begin with his term of active service instead cf paying him for eight months of ac
 tual idleness before he even takes tn
 cath of office, as is the case at tn , present time.
 It has been suggested that this frs
 term beginning on March would nat : urally be short one unless there wa