Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-03
Things Congress Will
and Will Not Do.
Second Session of 58th Con-
gress will Commence. Monday.
Loaded Calcndars-New Senator's
The Message-smoot Case.

vi - -hoiiddS, Inc second session of
the 3Sth Congress will be called to or
der by President Pro Tenn Frye in The
Senate and by Speaker Cannon in the
| House. When the gavtlS of the pre-
| SldlnS ofncerS summon the Senators
and Representatives to duty nearly
every member will be in his seat. bu,
only routine business will be Transact
ed. The chaplains will pray. the rolls
| Will u" called. the regular resolutions
of notification will be passed, com
mittees to inform the President will he
appointed and adjournment will follow
out of respect for the deceased MEM
bers. The Presidents message gen.
orally is received and read the first
| Gay, nut the Senate is punctiliOuS in
| certain matters and is almost SUR. to
ADJOURN as tribute of respect to the
late senator Hoar of Massa chusetts
ana the late Senator Quay of Pennsyl-
wanna The message. therefore prob
ably will not be read until Tuesday.
| But there vii! be enough to attract
| the crowds which win fill the galleries.
The opening of a session of Congress
has become a Hover SHOW. Immense
floral pieces designed to typfy the
man. or the state. or the district he
represents are placed upon members
desks in buti. chambers. oftentimes
totally obscuring the man they are
intended to compliment. BESIDES
these huge floral e,nblems Senators
and members are remembered more
mOdestly by simple punches of flow
ers. Admitting constituents. clerks in
the departments. wives and sweet
han al r.,,,
both Senate and House are favored
| with flowers. In fact the custom has
| grown to such proportions that those
who are not remembered in the annual
| gorgeous Congressional floral display
| feel that thev have been unconsciousiy
given greater distinction by the omis-
| sion.
| After the opening day. when the
| message of the President is read. the
regular business of the session will be-
| gin and the Legislative wheels will
| grind steadily until March 4. 1905.
There is plenty to do. The calendars
| OF both Houses are loaded with bills of
| all KINDS: hundreds Of new bills will
be introduced and committees are
ready TO report enough to keep Con-
! greSs busy for II months. but in the
three months Congress probably will
| do little more than pass the regular
annual appropriation bills. There
has been some talk of a possible extra
session The result of the November
| election was scarcely known before
! this talk began. Heretofore extra
session rlmors have been held in
allowance until the holiday recess or at
| least until after the election returns
have been dgested, but this year the
discussion began before the President
| knew how many votes he would have
in the electoral college. The only rea-
| son "hy such a session should be
called is because there is a demand in
! certain quarters for revision of the
tariff hut many Of the incoming Con-
grcs.mcn during the past two weeks
| have made it plain that they do not
| want tariff revision and further that
| they 40 not want an extra session.
| There is one feature Of the tariff re-
| vision talk that has some substance
| More revenue must be had or there
| must be a curta .lment Of expenditures
| With the Increasing annual appropria-
tons, river and harbOr bill, increase
Of the navy. the Panama canal and
bursement there will be need of more
money than present customs and in
tcrnal revenues provide. An intima-
| tiOn has been made that curtailment
| will satisfy many Congressional lead
ers, but the majority may determine
otherwise in which event some reve.
nue. legislation may be necessary and
an extra session for that purpose may
be called. Rnt this is said to be a
remote contingency and the proba bill
ties, according to the leaders who are
| here. are that there will be neither
tariff legislation nor an extra session.
Coupled with tariff legislat on dis
Cussion is the subject of reciprocity.
a number of proposed reciprocity
treaties have been. and still are repos-
ing in the pigeon holes of the Senate
During the corning three months there
may be some talk about these treaties.
but tho indications are they will not
be seriously considered. SO strong
has been the opposition to them that it
has never been considered worth while
to report them from the committee on
Foreign Relations to which they were
referred. There was considerable talk
during the last session Of Congress
concerning tariff revision and the sug-
gestion was made by several promi- |
nent leaders that any revision that |
was necessary could be accomplished |
during the short session of Congress, |
the idea being that revision would be |
on the lines of reduction and would |
meet with little or no opposition. II
more revenue is needed and it is found /
necessary to add some internal revenue
taxes opposition may be more pro-
nounced. Revenue legislation OF any |
kind is sure to create considerable
talk in the Senate and that means
delay. In fact it has become known
that under present conditions legisla-
ton during the short session is en-
acted by practically unanimous con-
sent. Any half dozen Senators who
determine to defeat a bill have the
Continued on page 81