The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-12-11
THE OUTLOOK
FOR CONGRESS
BY Ernest q. walker.

-ENtrh SESSIONS OF congress, Sucn AZ
that which President-elect Taft has
promised to call next spring, always
tower high in public interest. Official
ly they are called Extraordinary SEES
sions.' There has been hardly an
extra session that did not develop
something of historic importance, to be
recalled and expatiated upon, long
after the ordinary sessions Of the Fed.
eral lawmaking bodies have been for
gotten. For that reason the people
haze been educated to look upon an
cident of any administration at Wash
ington.
| And vet an extra session of Con-
gress in action is generally very tame
and uninteresting to the looker-on in
Washington. 1t rarely has half the in
terest to visitors, or even to the case
hardened residents of the national cap
ital, that regular session has. 1t
may not be so with the extra session
of the first year of the Taft admins
tration, but, all the same, the signs
point to many exceedingly dull, dreary
days on the hin where the Capitol
stands. Manufacturers and merchants
will be deeply concerned over the rails.
ing or lowering of duties on articles,
mostly of strange names. A fraction
one way or another can easily precipi-
tate a protest of voiceful proportions.
In the long run all these things affect
the millions of plain people, who have
to foot the bills, but the plain people
are generally very Indifferent to such
matters of legislation. If they have
any rearing and tearing to do, it will
probably come long after the revision
law has been signed and after news
papers and orators have dinned it into
their heads that their representatives
down at Washington have given some
body else the long end of the tariff
bargain.
Uncertainty About Big Debate.
There may be big tariff debate, but
big debates in Congress can not safely
be prognosticated. Those that are
widely advertised have Fan annoying
tendency not to become big debates at
all. On the other hand, few words
spoken in the course of routine pro-
ceedings often loose an avalanche of
heated discussion. Should some Demo
crat get his knife into a crevice of
the Republican protection armor, as
may or may not happep half dozen
times during consideration of the forth
coming tariff bill, there would be a
high old congressional shindy every
time the performance occurred. The
Democrats are already promising some
tariff oratory, especially the Senate
Democrats, but it is possible to put
too much faith in such promises.
An impression prevails in Washing
ton that public. sentiment in the Unit
ed States, after much ADVANTAGEOUS ac-
tivity under the prodding Of Theodore
Roosevelt. President, is relapsing into
a dormant and satisfied state, much as
it was during the years of the Nc
Kinley administration. The people
want to make money, lots of money,
and then more money, again. If 1t
turns out that public sentiment is be-
coming Indifferent, it will be difficult
to stir up much of tariff debate at
the extra session of Congress, for pub
4 lie sentiment is tremendous factor in
making legislators at Washington sit
up and take notice. If their constit.
uents cease to swarm on the ramparts
congressman become lethargic and it is
easier to put through big deals at
Washington.
House Will Speed the Bill.
No great tariff debating is looked for
in the House of Representative during
the extra session. 1t can be put down
as certain that "Uncle Joe' Cannon
who will be reelected Speaker, and all
his lieutenants will be very impatient
about the running of the sands by the
! time the extra session has been organ
lied for business They will give just as
few days as they think will be safe fol
discussion of the tariff bill Perhaps they
will allow the debate to be "widt
openD for week or thereabouts. But
the mutterngs in the corridors an6
cloakrooms about the folly of staying
: in Washington all summer, when mer
might be home, attending to persona
business and making money, will be
come rampant after little. The
Speaker and 800 other members will
be making filings at their ancient
enemy, the Senate. Every Represen
, tative is an enemy of the Senate til
he himslf is elected thereto. The pros
pect of long talk on tariff at that enc
of the Capitol Will be emphasized ant
then will come the argument, old al
the application of the cloture rule il
the House, that it is no use to waste
time talking when the House must wal
anyway till the Senate talks itself out
The tariff revision bill will be a
good as framed by the time the extri
, session of Congress convenes. That will
probably be about the middle of March
Mr.. Taft has already said that he will
call it just as soon as he can. Will
no lengthy notice is required by tn
, constitution, it is usual to allow abou
two weeks. That gives Senators an
Q members time to get to Washington
3 Even the delegates from Hawaii AM
8 Alaska can travel from Honolulu ant
Sitka in fifteen days.
Election of Speaker.
The Senate and House must both OF
ganize as soon as Congress meets il
extra session, for it will be the frs
session of new Congress. The Hous
will proceed to that task speedily. j
has more to do in the organization lin
Q than has the Senate, but generally doe
1t more speedily. The Senate Away
J, has q nreaidinp ofinAr ready IN tax