Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-06-08
WASHINGTON, b. e., June, 8, 100

TO call Congress in special sessaeh until
after the fall elections, although they are
few and unimportant, and II il obvious
that they are put forth as reason for post
poning the session only for effect, Accord
| ing to the Presidents own announcement
be has agreed not to summon Congress to
Washington until November 13, precisely
three weeks before the date set by law for
the beginning Of the regular session Those
who have heard the Presidents emphatic
assertions that nothing would prevent his
calling Congress in session on October l6,
now we believe that there will be no spe-
cial session whatever. The stand pat
ters'' are, moreover convinced, and with
reason, that the President has himself de-
| liyered deathblow to tariff revision in the
next session Of Congress.
Having persuaded the President to post
pone the special session until November II,
the stand patters' will now proceed to
show him that that leaves only three weeks
before the regular session, They will add
that nothing can dissuade Congress from
adjourning the special session at least a
week before the date for the regular NEE
ing, December 4, and that means that the
extraordinary session would last just two
weeks, ridiculously short time, as everyone
admits. The reason that Congress would
insist on adiourning a week before the date
OF the regular session is that the members
would be determined to secure their extra
mileage 1t will be recalled that when
Congress last permitted special session to
be merged into regular session, they lost
their extra mileage. Now the President
will be asked if, in his estimation, the two
weeks of special session is worth to the
people the $3.50, 600 for mileage which it is
certain to cost That be will be compelled
to reply in the negative seems almost as
sured. It may, therefore, be safely pre-
dicted that there will be no special session
of Congress next fall, which is precisely
what the opponents Of tariff revision and
railway rate legislation want.
Senator German, speaking for the Demo-
Gratis in the Senate promised Senator Al
drich, the Republican manager Of the up
per chamber, that the Democrats would
permit any tariff bin sent over by the
House during the special session to come
to vote before the beginning Of the regu-
lar session, but that was when the Presi-
dent had agreed to call the extraordinary
session for October 49, Now that the
President has gone back on that agreement
at the behest of the stand patters," Sena
tor German could not be asked to agree to
vote at the curtailed special session, even
if the House could frame and send over
tariff bill which it could not.
With the tariff disposed Of so far as the
special session is concerned, the House will
claim that it is impracticable to send over
to the Senate a tariff bill at all for fear the
discussion might be prolonged, the business
of the country has too little time to bel
come adjusted to the new schedules before
the fall elections and the Republican mem
bers Of the House suffer at the polls as a
result Of the unsettled condition Of business
during the fall Of 1906 This argument
will doubtless prove quite sufficient for the
president and the tariff revision policy Of
the administration may now be laid away
on the shelf as one of the policies killed by
the r.rnsid ontts vacillatiou
But the President regards railway rate
legislation as even more important than
tariff readjustnent, it may be said, and
this is doubtless true, but is not the post !,
ponement Of the special session a yielding
on this important issue? 1t may not be. |
It is possible that the President will yet
win out on that policy and will refuse fur
Their to yield to the influence of the leaders
of his party but those who fully appreciate
the magnitude Of the struggle he has under
taken in this direction fear that he will
have to content himself with very little
remedial railway legislations. An mean
while, s'the tariff hogs will have all four
feet in the trough, to use his own express
siye metaphor, while the consumers will
be absolutely unable to secure that beauti-
full square deal''. He himself has said
that they cannot get square deal in the
absence Of the adjustment Of the tariff
schedules TO the changed conditions
The Presidents selection of Charles j.
Bonaparte is proving an even greater shock
to the Republican politicians than was at
first anticipated Mr.. Bonparte is CON
frmed reformer, too old to change his ways
and absolutely intolerent Of the methods
whereby 50 many Republican politicians
attain success. He is determined enemy
Of the spoils systems and the Republican
politician who comes to seek his influence
in behalf Of this, that or the other contrac-
tor who has always voted straight and