Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-11-30
CONGRESS MEETS DEC. 9Th.
Some Speculation by the Sioux City
Journal on its Probable
Result.

Congress will meet in frazzled
condition on the 9Th of December
1t will adjourn on the Sd of March
That will be the end of the Sixty
first congress. The new congress
will thereupon enter upon the pay
roll, but in the ordinary course OF
human events it will not meet for
work until the first Monday of the
following December.
But what will congress do in the
approaching short session? 1t will
talk some. Republicans will be told
of what has happened to them, and
they will be given heartless assur-
ance that something worse is in
store for them in 1912. The repub-
licans will not be in comfortable
position to enter a very emphatic
denial. The presumption is they will
loll around, and that they will say
they will see what the democrats
will do when they come under the
yoke of responsibility. 1t is a safe
guess that the appropriation bills
will be passed; that the republicans
may try to make record for
economy, and that the democrats
will not care whether they do or
not. President Taft's message will
recommend additional legislation
for the further redemption of repub-
lican pledges, but it is doubtful if
time and energy will be found to
broaden the legislative accomplish
ments of the Taft administration.
Neither the democrats nor the insur-
gents will see their interest in add
ing capital in that quarter. If the
reapportionment business can be
reached, it will occupy much time.
1t is one of the things the demo-
Gratis will prefer to pass over to the
next congress, and the insurgents
may feel that way about it also.
There is likely TO be disposition in
some quarters TO do something more
to the rules, but the republicans
may take the ground that ii would
be discourteous to NEEDLE in mat
ter so recently transferred by popu-
lar vote TO the democrats. 1t would
be no more than polite to leave the
field open, so that the democrats,
chothed with ample power, can take
their own way to free the house of
the dangerous influence of the
speaker. 1t may be presumed the
democrats themselves would be in
disposed to take mean advantage
of their party associates chosen to
the next house, fresh from the peo-
pie. 1t may be taken for granted,
on both sides of the hall, that
Speaker Cannon has been so chast-
ened that he can be trusted not 10
do anything very outrageous during
the scant three months remaining
of his life as a ruler. The usual
holiday recess is TO be taken into
consideration.
During the short session consi-
derable time will be taken in saying
goodby. There will be friendly in
terchange of explanation. 1t will
be the duty of one victim to be as
patient as he can be to what an
other victim has to offer. The while
the victim will sit around. There
will be the evidence of reaction in
the struggle that has been put forth
to save the country; and like as not
there will be suggestion that the
democrats are foredoomed to make
a mess of it. Like as not it will be
suggested that history has been re-
peating itself, and that history has
an uncompleted task before it;
whereat the democrats are likely to
supply enough horse laugh to make
themselves thoroughly disagreeable.
Owing 10 the lateness of the hour
the remainder of the program an
nounced for the Sixty-first congress
is likely in the main to be dispens-
ed with.