Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-16
NO XTRA SESSION
Presidents Dispatch to Sec
retary Taft.
A LIVELY STRUGGLE
EXPECTED BETWEEN CONGRESS
AND THE EXECUTIVE.
Satisfaction of Ultra Conservative
Men in Their Victory May
Be Premature.

A cable dispatch today to New York
paper from the Philippines stated that Sec
retary Taft yesterday read at luncheon a
dispatch from President Roosevelt an
nouncing that there would be no extra ses-
sion of Congress, whereupon, the news item
went on to say, there was loud applause
from the congressional members of the
party. This dispatch gave definite nforma-
ton of the abandonment of the extra ses-
sion plan, intimation of which came from
Oyster Bay last week.
1t will relieve the anxiety of the congress-
men. For some months it has been case
of now you it and now you don't with
that extra session. First there would be
authentic news that the President had de-
clared with emphasis that he would have It,
Then Speaker Cannon. or some of the stand
a statement that is was all off, and so it
switched back and forth.
President Has Given Warning.
1t has been known in inside congressional
circles for some time that the President
was advised not to irritate Congress by call
ing an extra session two or three weeks In
advance of the regular meeting of Congress.
He was told that the ultra-conserVatiVe men
In both House and Senate were a little
peevish anyhow, over the prospect of dis
agreement between the executive ana Con-
gress over railway-rate legislation and tariH
revision and that 1t would not be wise to
fret them unnecessarily. 1t was pointed out
that there was strong probability of the
Senate emphasizing its resentment by re-
fusing to do nothing and tying up the legis-
lation of the extra session, as was done once
before, when Cuban reciprocity was up.
Significance it attached to the fact that
IN = D,AG
ing of the contemplated extra session he
has taken occasion, and has gone out OF ms
way to make such occason, to relterate ms
views on corporation regulation, putting
them even stronger than before. This was
done in his Chatauqua speech of last week,
upon which The Star commented at the
time. So it might be imagined that the
President says to the ultra-conservatives,
Very well, gentlemen, have your own way
about the extra session; but | give you fair
warning that you will have to face the
music when you come a few weeks later"
Hope to Tire Him Out
It is not betraying any secrets to say that
the belief prevails among the most ex-
perienced OF the ultra-conservatives that
they will be able to defeat the President in
his aspirations for effective railway and
tariff legislation. They think they will be
able to tire him out. This belief is based
upon their estimate of his character. When
talking, not to be quoted personally, these
statesmen go on to say that they think the
President will become impatient if he can
not win a swift and brilliant victory and
that with the power of infinite delay, which
the Senate rules invest them, they can
daily along and worry him with hope de-
ferred until he may give up the campaign
or turn to other issues.
The Presidents friends who talk over
these things with him from time to time
say that this is not Just estimate of
ROoseVelt'S character, and that if the ultra
conservatives are calculating on such an
outcome they are calculating without their
host. They insist that Roosevelt has given
every Indication of his determination to
stick in tbs fight for tariff revision and
railway and corporation regulation They
ask how it is possible for any one to doubt
IN the face of his most recent declaration
made under circumstances uausual enough
to attract wide public attention
Inc plan of the ultra conservatives In
thelr campaign of attempting to tire
out the President includes a long dis
cusSlon OF departmental scandals; n ser
les OF Investigations by congressional
committees; some lively rows between
Congress and the departments over ap-
preparations and expenditures and dis
cussion of such stray subjects as the
fates may send them from time to time
OF course. there will be occasional ad-
Vertence to the tariff and the railways,
with committees looking into questions
that are raised. But the main purpose
Will be delay, postponement, debate
What Will President Be Doingp
What will the President and his friends
be doing all this time? The ultra-con-
servatives do not comprise the whole
membership of Congress by any means,
although they may come pretty near con-
trolling It's action most of the time The
President knows that he will have friends
in the next Congress, scores of them who
came In on the great Roosevelt tidal
wave last fall Many of them are new in
politics, ambitious and naturally In close
touch with their constituents. Upon them
the President viii depend to keep the pot
boiling when the admins StratiOn's OBJ
ponents endeavor to let the fires go down
Ii Is conceded on all sides that the next
session Will witness a struggle between