Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-15
QUIET SESSION COMING.
Little Inclination to Rush Legisla-
ton.
Bc Acted Upon-Christmas ADJ
iournment for Tel Days-Noth-
VIII he Done on Tariff.
Tho Washington correspondent Of the

Tho Washington correspondent of the
Boston Transcript writes thus:
Congress will reassemble next Monday
at noon without any frills. From one
point of view the so-called short session
IS always unimportant. 1t is an anach-
rohisin. II Is a gathering OF several hun
dred men not freshly elected by the peo-
DC but chosen two years before. II Is a
holdover session Of men Of whom the
country may or may not DO tired. In tho
present instance, Congress will be ac-
'uoHy representative of the voters Of
the United States. The complexion OF
tho House has been completely changed
since the, adjournment OF last June. II
is understood now, after some weeks Of
newspaper firing into tho air. that the
'ecders OF Congress will r~ecoSnize the
new conditions and simply go through
TIE motions until the sixty-second Con-
.ress meets.
Through q popularity which might not
Mt first be understood in Massachusetts.
every bill introduced during n session re-
mains alive until that Congrass dies.
The sixty-first Congress began It's lifc
III special session March 4, 1909. Some
thing like 25,cO bills wero introduced In
both branches. and unless these have
been actually killed by vote. they may
be taken ur at any time. It will thus
be seen that when the great law-mak!ns
body of the country deliberately decides
for : whole session to pass practically
no bills except those nppronriating money
remarkable conditions exist. Congress
works very l~eisurly n first, merely going
through the motions for a few days and
then adjourning at least ten days for tho
Christmas holidays. 1t works very hard
when 1t once gets under way, sometimes
not stopping either Sundays or holidays.
THEY FEEL. THE REBUKE.
The Congress comes together at this
time with the political aspect OF things
greatly changed since the last session
closed. The republicans of the House have
received notice from the people of the
country that they must turn over that
branch of the legislative body to the
democrats at tho end of the session. A
large number of the most Influential
republican senators will retire at the end
OF the session. some of them voluntarily,
ara Sorle OF them as a result OF the YER
act of the people as expressed at the
polls. Under the circumstances. repuh-
leans arc not approaching the work of
the session with any large degree OF en-
thusiasm. Naturally they feel that they
have been rebuked, and that it IS q good
time for them 10 look for rear seats.
The session will open without the legis-
lative leaders having agreed on any sort
of a program. They are waiting for the
Presidents message. Even after they
are acquainted with his recommendation
II Is by no means certain that very much
OF Il program will he agreed upon. The
political differences within tho republi-
can party in both senate and House that
made themselves manifest on so many
occasions during the last session still
exist. The regular republicans and the
irSurgent republicans are about as wide
apart rs they could possibly he and pro-
fcSs TO belong to the same political
PARTY. Moet Observers talip the view
that President Taft would have to work
u miracle to get tho united support o.
tie republicans in either Senate or House
for any important Legislation he might
propose.