New-York tribune., 1907-12-03
THE OPENING or CONGRESS-.

The Goth Congress- which assembled yesterday
at Washington. will hardly rival the 59th in
legislative activity or political aggressiveness-
1t will reflect rather the caution and hesitation
of a period of political interregnum. as every
Congress does which has To leSislate with
view to the contingencies of an approaching
Presidential election. 1t has become the rule
for the party in power 10 limit its programme
in Presidential years TO bare essentials and 10
force as early an adjournment as possible
needing the unfortunate experiences of the
past. which have shown how difficult 1t rs
to enact important laws and secure an in
telligent and impartial verdict on them in
the face of partisan opposition and partisan
MISREPRESENTATION. The 5Sth Congress ended Its
short session April 2S, 1904, more than SIX
weeks before the assembling of the Republican
National Convention and more than eight weeks
before the meeting Of the Democratic National
Convention. Mr.. Cannon was Speaker then, as
he is now and there is every reason TO think
that he will be guided again by the general
policy of Observation-Disclosures in legislation and
speedy dispatch of the necessary routine
business
The new Congress meets also under conditions
not encountered two years ago four years
ago. Overexpansion in business and oversIgec-
ulation have been halted by furry of distrllst,
and liquidation has forced a settlement OF spec
ulative debts which has crippled many specula-
tors and operated also 10 chill credit and check
production. The ineIasticity of our currency sys-
TEN aggravated the embarrassments Of the con
traction in credit and has again shown the need
Of some amendment of the currency laws which
will help to enlarge our circulating medium more
or less automatically in times Of unrest and
widespread boarding. This defect Congress will
doubtless try to cure. and il is 10 be hoped that
the effort will be made with sobriety and in a
rational. non-partisan spirit The temptation 10
make temporary political capital out Of egisa-
ton Of this sort is often too much for histriOnic
politicians and the Hon John Sharp Williams
seems inclined TO applaud the conditions which
caused contraction as the great boon of the
last decade to the Democratic party. instead of
working TO relieve those conditions for tie ben
eft of the whole people. Yet in the long the
Democratic party cannot be greatly benefited by
partisan opposition TO legislation intended TO
meet situation for which all parties are equally
responsible.
Politically the Congress which met yesterday
fairly represents the party readjustments which
have been going on during the last six or eight
years. The Republican majority in the House
of Representatives. recently reduced by three
through the election of one Republican and four
Democratic Representatives from the new State
of Oklahoma stands now at ifty-s seven, as against
a majority of ia at the opening OF the 59th Con
gress, On the other hand. it is larger by twenty
seven than the ma aiority in the 5Sth Congress.
elected in 1902 and by forty-two than the ma
jority in the 56th Congress, elected In 1898 The
Senate which assembled yesterday was two
thirds Republican for the first time in gener
alton. though the admission Of two Demo
cratic Senators from Oklahoma and the election
of a Republican Senator from Rhode Island the
Republicans will have permanent majority Of
one vote short OF two-thirds. This distribution
of power fairly represents the present strength
of the two great political parties and suggests
no interruption in the near future of the execu-
ton of Republican policies or the continuance
of Republican rule.