Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-01-13

dent that special session could lie
held late in the fall say in November,
at which all needed changes in the
| Dingley rates could be made. Finally,
| the leaders showed their true hands ly
| deprecating all changes in the tariff
and their efforts to utilize the press to
that end became known to the Presi-
dent during the holiday recess.
The only way in which the President
can be prevented from calling Con-
gress in special session, probably this
coming Spring, will be by holding up
to him the last administration of Pres
| ident Cleveland as horrible example
and even thatS will. not prevent his
sending to Congress powerful appeal
for revision next December if no ex-
traordinary session is held.
Another aggrayating fact which has
been borne in ON the President Of late
is that the Senate leaders have caused
the Statehood bill to be taken up with
no intention of enacting it but for the
sole purpose of it's becoming an Oh.
stacle to other legislation; such for in
stance, as measures calculated to give
the government full control of railway
| rates, to check the steady growth Of
the trusts, to centralize the control of
the public forests under a single de
partment, etc. A little later in the
session the plea of no time" will be
advanced whenever the President asks
why this, that or the other is not done
and so MIR. Roosevelt is fast awaken
ing to the fact that his Republican
friends in Congress are;not in earnest
when 1t comes to legislation which
would prove of actual service to the
majority of the people and would IA
vor no special interest.
Secretary Hay has sent to the SEN
ate number of arbitration treaties in
which be and the President are deeply
interested but which stand little chance
of ratification as negotiated. The
Democratic Senators see in these
treaties a possibility of the Southern
States being compelled to pay the re-
pudiated State bonds which were issued
| by carpet-baggers in the RECONSTRUCT
ton days, the proceeds of which went
into the hands OF Northerners who
came south to exploit that section and
from which the South received no ben
eft whatever. Consequently. the
Democrats in the Senate have banded
together and unless the conventions
are 80 amended as expressly to omit
from possible arbitration the payment
of these bonds they will never be ratl-
fled.
The prospects are that the President
and his Secretary of the Navy are like
ly to encounter. insuperable opposition
to their naval programme. They hav,
asked that new. vessels. which will
cost $4,000, 900 be authorized. The
Government has already authorized
ships which, before they are comple.-
ed, will cost $3.50. ZOO, 900 and there will
be national deficiency of SO, 900, 900
at least, this year. Congress now de
clared itself ready to authorize few
| of the ships asked for, but positivel
r declines to authorize an additional ex
3 pense for new ships amounting to near
r ly $50, 100000. In this connection, at
q tention is called to the fact the nava
1 authorities now declare that the Ore
e gon is obsolete, although it is one O
t the largest battleships afloat, being Q
$4,000 tons burthen. Now they de
mand ships of not less than 16, 900 tons
although none of the foreign power
except England are building battle
e ships of such gigantic size. The mor
conservative members Of Congress in
sist that at least one of the new 1900
ton ships already authorized should b
put into commission and thorough
s tested before more are authorized an
in this economical and judicious poll
cy the Republicans will receive the flu
support of the Democrats in bot
= houses of Congress.