The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-06-14
THERE WILL Be NO SPECIAL
SESSION OF CONGRESS
President Announces that He Has
Given Up Thought Of Having
an Extra Session.


Advices from Washington state
that the president has finally an
nounced that he will not call congress
in special session until after the No
yember elections, and he now ex-
poets to convene the extraordinary
session on November 18th. There
are many of the leaders In the Re-
publican party, however, who believe
that this decision sounds the death
knell of the special session, and that
eventually the president will be en-
tirely dissuaded from the idea of
calling any special session. The ar
gument 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 members. 1t was pointed out
that as a result they would all come
to Washington in a surly or sullen
mood, and would merely waste time
instead Of getting down to business
in advance of the regular session.
The president has needed this argu-
ment 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 call
ing any extra session is this: BY
calling congress together on NOvem-
Der 18th, there will be at most but
three weeks gained before the date
on which the national legislature
would meet by law; congress will
never again consent. however, to re-
main in session right up to the hour
when the regular session must COM
mence, for the reason that when
this was done year ago, the men,
bers lost the extra mileage which
they regard as their special per-
quisite whenever htey meet in spe-
cial session. For That reason, it will
be urged, congress will certainly ad-
journ at least week in advance of
December 4th, the date on which the
regular session will begin. so that
only two weeks would be gained.
Then the president will be asked il,
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 argu-
ment that no member of congress
wants special session at all will be
revamped, and so the special session
of 1905 will. in the judgment of
those best fitted to judge, have been
added to the long list of things gone
glmmering."
There is no Disgusting the fact
that the presidents decision Is al
victory for the stand-patters. They
so regard it, and are jubilant at hav-
ing won the day. 1t will be remem-
bered, that when, early in the last
esason. the president called the lead
ers of both houses of congress to the
White House for a conference on the
tariff. Speaker Cannon. while pro-
testing that there was not the slight
est necessity of changing single
tariff schedule, declaring that II any
must be changed it should be done at
a special session called for the pur-
pose this spring. The speakers
reason for urging spring session
was that if 1t were undertaken to re-
adjust the tariff schedules at spe-
cial fall session, ordering a regular
session, the Democrats in the SEN
ate would purposely prolong the de-
bate until so close to the fall cleo
tons that the business of the coun-
try would not have time to become
readjusted to the new schedules, and
the Republican members of the house
would suffer at the polls. The speak
er's argument was met by Senator AL
dricn, however, with the assurance
that there would be no unnecessary
delay If the special session were de-
ferred until fall, and the president
abided by the judgment of the sena-
tor from Rhode Island.
With the purpose of making good
his assurance to the president, Sem
ator Aldrich Immediately thereafter
secured from the eDmocratic leader,
Senator German, a pledge that IL the
house would send over tariff bill
during the special fall session, the
Democrats in the upper house would
permit it to come to a vote before
the date of the regular session. OF
course, now that the president has
deferred the converting of the extra
session. there is no chance for the
Democrats to redeem Mr. Germans
pledge. while the speakers argument
against opening the tariff question
on the eve of election has gained
added force. The stand patters"
are therefore doubtless correct in
their assertion that, while the pres
ident has in no way departed from his
original conviction that some read
justment of the tariff schedules to
changed conditions is essential to a
square deal, he has dealt tariff read
justment In the next session a death
blow by his abandonment of Oc-
tober 10th as the date on which to
convene the special session.