The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-06-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Special Session of Congress Deferred UI
til Victory for Stand
PaEfare

TIL Victory for Stand
Patters.
The president has finally announced
that he will not call congress in spe-
cial session until after the November
elections and he now expects to con-
vene the extraordinary session on No
vember Is. There are many of the
leaders in the Republican party, how
ever, who believe that this decision
| sounds the death knell OF the special
session and that eventually the presi-
| dent will be entirely dissuaded from
the idea of calling the session. The
argument used with the president to
induce him to abandon his first idea
was that he could accomplish no good
by calling congress in session at
time that would prove Objectionable to
all the members, and that as a result
they would all come to w ashington in a
surly or sul1en mood and would merely
waste time instead of getting down to
business in advance of the regular
session. The president has needed this
argument to the extent above outlined
and now the opponents of special
session are ready with arguments for
further delay, although they may not
present them until later in the sum-
mer.
The argument which is expected to
dissuade the president from calling
special session is this: By calling con-
gress. together on November Is there
will be at most but three weeks gained
before the date on which the national
Legislature would meet by law; con-
gress will never again consent, how
ever, to remain in session right up to
the hour when the regular session must
commence, for the reason that when
this was done year ago the members
lost the extra mileage which they re-
gard as their special prerequisite
whenever they meet in special session.
For that reason, it will be urged, con-
gress will certainly adjourn at least a
week in advance of December 4, the
date on which the regular session
must begin, and so only two weeks
would be gained. Then the president
will be asked if in his Judgment the
two weeks gained will compensate for
the 100000 which congress is certain
to take for itself for mileage, and the
old argument that no member of con-
gress wants q special session at all
will be revamped, and so the special
session of 1905 will, in the opinion
Of those best fitted to judge, have been
added to tie long list of things s'gone
glimmering.
There is no Disgusting the fact th at
the presidents decision is victory
for the stand patters. They SO regard
it and are jubilant at having won
the day. 1t will be remem bered that
when, early in the last session, the
president called the leaders of both
houses of congress to the White
House for q conference on the tariff,
Speaker Cannon, while protesting lat
there was not the slightest necessity OF |
changing a single tariff schedule, de-
clared that il any must be changed il
should be done at special session
called for the purpose this spring. The
speakers reason for urging spring
session was that if it were undertaken
to re-adjust the tariff schedules at
special fall session, or during a reg
u1ar session, the Democrats in the
senate would purposely prolong the
debate until SO close to the fall cleo
tions that the business of the country
would not have time to become re-
adjusted to the new schedules and the
Republican members of the house
would suffer al the polls. The speaker IS
argument was met by Senator Aldrich,
however, with the assurance that there
would be no unnecessary delay if the
special session were deferred until fall,
and the president abided by the iudg-
ment of the senator from Rhode Is
land.
With the purpose of making good
lis assurance to the president, SEN
ator Aldrich Immediately thereafter
secured from the Democratic leader,
Senator German, pledge that if the
house would send over a tariff bill
Turing the special fall session the Dem
ocrats in the upper house would per-
nit it to come to vote before the date
or the beginning of the regular ses-
ion. OF course, now that the presi-
lent has deferred the converting of the t
'pecial session until SO late date t
here is no chance for the Democrats c
9 redeem Mr.. Germans pledge, while 1t
he speakers argument against open {
ng the tariff question on the eve of an
lection has gained added force. The t
tand patters are therefore doubtless | L
orrect in their assertion that, while h
he president has in no way departed {
rom his original conviction that some I
e. adjustment of the tariff schedules e
0 changed conditions is essential to c
square deal, he has dealt tariff re-
dlustment in the next session death @
low by his abandonment of October p
as the date on which. to convene the Y
pecial session. g
L i