Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1905-06-03

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OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
THE President has finally announced
that he will not call Congress in
special session until after the November
elections and he now expects to convene
the extraordinary session on November
18th. There are many of the leaders in
the Republican party, however, who be-
lieve that this decision sounds the death
knell of the special session and that
eventually the President will be entirely
dissuaded from the idea of calling any
special session. The argument used with
the President to induce him to abandon
! his first idea was that he could accomplish
no good by calling the Congress in ses-
sion at time that would prove objection
| able to all the members, that as a result
they would all come to Washington in
surly or sulen mood and 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 summer.
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The argument which is expected to
dissuade the President from calling any
special session is this: by calling Congess
will be at most but three weeks gained be-
fore the date on which the national legis.
lature would meet by law; Congress will
never again consent however, to remain
in session right up to the hour when the
regular session must commence, for the
reason that when this was done a year
ago the members lost the extra mileage
which they regard as their special per.
quisite whenever they meet in special
session. For that reason, it will be urged
Congress will certainly adjourn at least
week in advance of December 4th, the
date on which the regular session must
begin, and so only two weeks would be
gained. Then the President will be
asked ii in his judgment the two weeks
gained will compensate for the $4,000
which Congress is certain to take for it.
self for mileage and the old argument that
no member o: Congress wants a special
session at all will he revamped and so the
special session, of 1905 will, in the Judge
ment of those best fitted to Judge, have
been added TO the long list of things
"gone glimmering."
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There is no Disgusting the fact that the
Presidents decision is victory for the
stand patters. They so regard it and
they are iubliant having won the day.
1t will remembered that when, nearly in
the last session, the President called the
leaders OF both houses of Congress to the
White Honse for conference on the
tariff, Speaker Cannon, while protesting
that there was not the slightest necessity
OF changing a single tariff schedule, de-
clared that if any must be changed it
should be done at special session called
for the purpose this Spring. The Speak
er's reason for urging spring session
was that if it were undertaken to re-
adjust the tariff schedules at a special
fall session, ordering a regular session.
the Democrats in the Senate would
purposely prolOng the debate until
SO close to the fail elections the bus
mess of the country would not have time
to become re-adjusted to the new sched-
ulesand the Republican members of the |
House would suffer at the polls. The
Speakers 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 judg-
ment Of the Senator from Rhode Island.
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With the purpose of making good his
assurance to the President Senator Aid
rich Immediately thereafter secured from
the Democratic leader, Senator German,
pledge that if the House would send
over tariff bill during the special fall
session the Democrats in the upper house
would permit it to come to vote before
the date for the beginning Of the regular
session. Of course, now that the President
has deferred the converting special ses-
zion until so late date there is no chance
for the Democrats to redeem Mr.. Cor
mans pledge, while the Speakers argu-
ment against opening the tariff question
on the eve of an election has gained
added force. The "stand patters" are
therefore doubtless correct in their as
sertion that, while the President has in
no way departed from his original con-
viction that some REIMBURSEMENT of the
tariff schedules to changed conditions
is essential to square deal, he has dealt
tariff REIMBURSEMENT in the next session
death blow his abandonment OF October
10Th as the date OH which to convene
the special session.
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The President has not, despite all re-
ports to the contrary, taken any steps
toward the promotion of the peace be-
tween Russia and Japan. Much as he
would like to further the cause of peace
in the Orient he is powerless to do any,
thing in that direction without direct
request from the Gar and even then it is
questionable if he could accomplish any
thing. The Japanese are determined
that they will have no more to do with