Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-12-02
SIXTIETH CONGRESS
 OPENS SESSION

1 Washington. Dec. 2.-The SiXtieth lcongress of the United States was formally opened with the usual cere monies today.
 Aside from. the reading and cOnsid- eration of the presidents message and the usual squabbles over the spells of office, few matters of general interest are likely to come up during the first week of congress.
 That currency legislation will be urgently demanded is assured by the financial situation in which the coun- try finds itself. Great difference of opinion is manifested in the two houses as to the necessary measures to be taken to solve the currency question, but there is no doubt that the demand for Legislative action will be greater and stronger than ever before. Among those who have expressed opinions
 on the subject are Senator Reed Shoot of Utah, who said:
 'sIt is my opinion that congress ought immediately to pass the elastic treasury bill, which, I believe, would relieve the situation at once. The bill should be broad one and should pro- tect the government, and at the same time should provide the necessary money to carry on business. Such gencies, and should be withdrawn from circulation when need for it is past. All other civilized countries have such a law. It seems to me absurd that such action should be needed at pres ent when the country is more pros porous than at any time in it's history. There are tens of millions more mon- ey in the United States than a year ago. At the close of the year ended March the balance of trade will be 1 in favor of this country by at least 1 s1,0OO, ,0O0 ,o0O'
 Two interesting struggles are on the program for the first week of 1 congress. The first is sheduled to come to head when the Republican members of the house of representa- tives hold their caucus to make up the slate of elective offices. In this skir- mish Representative James A. Tawney l of Minnesota will be pitted against Theodore E. Burton of Ohio the recent 1 ly defeated Republican candidate for mayor of Cleveland The scene of the second contest will be the committee on committees of the United States senate. Here Senator Aldrlch Of Rhode Island, leader of the so-called inner circle senators, is promised a contest of unprecedented vigor over the standing committee assignments. The contest between Burton and l Tawney is for postmaster of the house ! to succeed Joseph C. McElroy of Ohio, who died several months ago. The i candidate of the Ohio delegation IS James H. Cassidy of Cleveland, clerk to the committee on rivers and har- bors, of which Representative Burton is the chairman Representative Tawney is urging the election Of Sam uel Langham of Minnesota. With the exception of the fight for this position, the entire slate, from Speaker Can
 non down, will likely go through
 without a struggle.
 One-sixth of the United States sen ate which assembled today is new. h.
 cludine the two United States sena
 tors who will come from Oklahoma,
 there are seventeen new faces. This
 is more new blood than is generally
 infused into the senate at one time.
 Strictly speaking, all the faces of the new corners are not new, as Will , liam Alden Smith, who came from Michigan as the successor of Russell A. Alger, and Charles C. Curtis of Kansas, who succeeded Alfred w. Ben son, took their seats toward the close of the last congress.
 i. Of the fifteen men who, for one req son or another, were retired, eight
 were Democrats and seven Republi-
 cans Of the fifteen newcomers, eleven
 are Republicans and four Democrats. Even with a Democratic presidential
 victory next year, it will be impossi- ble for the Democrats to get posses sion of the senate within the next
 four years.