The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-09
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
June 3. 1905.

udS dSICCu UOl " No4A NOh iNcC
in special session until after the
fall elections, although they are
few aud unimportant aud 1t ia
obvious that they are put forth as
a reason for po>tponiug the ses
sion only for effect. According
10 the presidents OWL announce
ment be has agreed not to summon
Congress to Washington until
November ID. precisely three
weeks before the date set by law
for the beginning of the regular
session. Those who have heard
the Presidents emphatic asser
tions that nothing would prevent
his calling Congress in session on
October IS, now believe that there
will be no special session what
ever. The 'stsnd patters' are
moreover convinced. and with
reason. that the President has
him elf delivered death blow TO
tariff revision in the next session
of Congress.
Having persuaded the Presi-
dent to postpone the special ses-
sion until Novem Der 13. the stand
ALTERS" 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 adjourn
ing the special session at least
week before the date fir the regu-
lar meeting. December 1. and thar
means that the extraordinary Ses
sion would last just two weeks. a
riiiculo>ly short time. as everyone
admits. The reason that Congress
would insist on adjOurning week
before the date of the regular
session is that the memb ers would
be determined 10 secure their extra
mileage. II will be recalled thar
hen Congress last permitted
special session 10 be merged into
a regular session they lost their
extra mileage. Now the Presi-
dent will he asked ii. in mis- e>fi
nation. the two weeks of special
session is worth to the people the
$3.50. 600 for mileage which it is
certain to cost. That he will he
compelled TO reply in he negative
seems almost assure / l. may.
therefore he safely predicted that
there will be no special session of
Congress next fall, which is pre-
cisely what the opponents of tariff
revision and railway rate legisla-
ton want.
Senator German, speaking for
the Democrats in the Senate.
promised Senator Aldrich, the Re-
publican manager of the upper
cham Der, that the Democrats
would permit any tariff bill sent
over by the House during the
special session 70 come to vote
before the beginning of the regu
lar session but that was when the
President had agreed to call the
extraordinary session for October
I6. Now that the President has
gone back on that agreement at
the behest of the ''stand patters"
Senator German could not he ask
ed TO agree TO vote at The cur
tailed special session. even if the
House could frame aud send over
a tariff bill which it could not.
With the tariff disposed of so
far as the special session is con
cerned, the House will claim that
it is impracticable to send over 10
the Senate a tariff bill at all for
fear the discussion might be pro-
longed, the business of the country
has too little time to become ad
juSted to the new schedules before
the fall elections aud the Repub-
lican members of the House suffer
ar the polls as result of the un
settled condition of business, dur
ing the fall of 1906. This argu-
ment will doubtless prove quite
sufficient for the President and the
tariff revision policy OF the adj
miniStratiOn may now be laid
away on the shelf as one of the
policies killed by the Presidents
yacillation.
But the President regards rail-
way rate legislation as even more
important than tariff readjust-
ment. 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 I
It may not be. 1t is possible that
tho President will yet win out on
that policy and will refuse further
to yield to the influence of the
leaders of his party but those who
fully appreciate the magnitude of
the struggle he has undertaken in
this direction fear that he will
have to content himself with very
little remedial railway legislation.
An meanw bile, "the tariff hogs
will have all four feet in the
trough" to use his own expressive
metaphor. while consumers will
be absolutely unable to secure that
beautiful 'ssouare deal He him.