Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16
The Short Session.

The recommittal of the change-of-date
resolution by the House yesterday should
not be regarded as a defeat, but merely
as postponement Of action. The vote
to recommit appears to have been sweiled
by the support of members who prefer
another form of enactment to that which
was reported from the judiciary commit
tee In the debate on the measure,
which extended through parts of three
legislative days, there were few substan-
tial arguments against the merits OF the
general proposition that later date than
March is desirable for the national cere-
mony.
Some members of the House have de-
clared themselves as opposed to the
change of the inaugural date on the
ground that 1t would prolong the term
of the expiring Congress. This is the
weakest conceivable argument in OPPOSE
ton to the obviously desirable reform. 1t
matters nothing to the country at large
whether the expiring Congress sits for
three months or for four and half. Ii
retiring members. who have been rejected
by their constituencies, are not to be IN
trusted with the transaction of legisla-
tive business for a longer period than at
present their chance TO sit in Congress
should be withdrawn entirely. Their
terms should end with the adjournment
of the session preceding the election But
this Is impossible under the Constitution
as 1t is now written, for it is one OF the
most responsible functions of Congress
to act as a canvassing board, to deter
mine the result of the balloting for Presi-
dent and Vice President. Thus the retir-
ing members of the House and Senate are
charged by the fundamental law with a
highly important role. Evidently the
trainers of the Constitution had no fear
that the legislators who have been de-
MED another term will in the closing days
of the last session loot the Treasury or
pack the statute books with obnoxious
and dangerous laws
II, however, any men of today hesitate
about trusting the retiring Congress to
discharge it's duties conscientiously and
honestly. they should be relieved by the
suggestion of increasing the term. 1t
is we'll understood that more jokers"
are written into the enactments of the
two houses during the short session than
during the long one. The hurry of Con-
gress in the two months which practi-
cally compass it's activities in the "odd
nuInDcTeu Is Tic ucSl poSoiDIc
cloak for any skullduggery that may be
under way, any schemes for slipping
bad laws through, or for ENGRAVING vi
cious principles upon the legislative sys-
tenn. In the good old days of the pro-
fessional lobby it was a familiar saying
that the short session was the one that
needed the most watching, not because of
the approaching close of legislative
hurry and conditions were ripe for log
rolling.
The lengthening of the term will give
Congress time to act with due delibera-
ton upon every proposition that comes
before the two houses. 1t will be then
possible to transact the legislative bust
ness during the "odd numbered years
upon the same scale of thoroughness as
in the other years. Everything will be
more open, and fewer opportunities will
be afforded for sharp practices.
The argument against a later inaugu-
ration on the ground that it will ex-
tend the term of the expiring Congress
is an Impeachment of the integrity, not
only of retiring members, but of the
entire membership of both houses. 1t
should be resented by Congress as
promptly as opportunity offers to vote
upon the change-of-date resolution. the
approval of which is demanded by every
consideration Of practical patriotism.