Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-06
Members Did Not Think Executive
Meant What He Said.
hight HAVE PASSED RECIPROCITY
Call Meets Scant Welcome at Hands
of the Members.
DEMOCRATS CAUGHT UNPREPARED
Have Had no Time for Consultation
and Are'Put Face to Face with
PromuIEatinE Policy on
Tariff at Outset.

WASHINGTON, March 5.-Notwithstand-
ing the positiveness with which President
Taft had repeatedly said, in all but direct
and official language, that unless congress
should enact legislation to put into op-
Grafton the Canadian reciprocity agreement,
he would summon an extra session to re-
resume consideration OF the subject, his
fulfliment of that threat within two hours
Of adjournment was an actual surprise TO
many members Of that body
II was especially so in the senate As
late as an hour before final adjournment
yesterday, leading senator's and others
about the capitol made bets there would
be no extra session.
Pressure nothing less than tremendous
had been brought to bear upon the ad-
ministration and upon members OF con
gress to prevent the calling OF the extra
session. Until the last moment rumors
were incessant that way would be found
to avoid IT,
| One Of the most persistant was that there
were in progress negotiations between the
president and the Canadian government
looking to the withdrawal Of the agree
ment by one party or the other so as to
give excuse for Withholding the special call.
Many RumOrs Fly.
Another rumor was that there was an
understanding between the president and
the republican leaders in congress that one
or more of the appropriation bills, prefer
ably the general definiency BILL was to be
lost in the shuttle" so that the special
! session would be unavoidable.
! still another was that the leaders had
determined to hold up some appropriation
in which the White House was especially
Interested, and at the last moment make
Its passage conditional upon the abandon
ment OF the extra session projects. The
blockade OF the appropriation bills In the
tlhbusters in both houses yesterday tended
to give color to these stories.
Some got so far as to say that II certain
senators had believed the president would
actually make good his threat they would
have made strenuous efforts to pass the
reciprocity bill Whatever may be the de-
gree or absence OF truth in any OF these
stories, there can be no doubt that the
issue Of the presidents extra session
proclamation met scant welcome at the
hands OF those members OF congress who
after the stress OF the past session will
) barely have time to go home for a brief
respite and to adjust their affairs for
! another session, which many think will ex
tend far into the summer There are those
who believe 1t Will be so long as to leave
only constructive recess" before the
| regular session begins In December.
May he Long session.
At the present time any prediction of
the length Of the special session must bs
) sheer speculation. The democrats OF the
= house, who will initiate tariff legislation.
5 have had no time to inaugurate plans
! Any program prepared now or at another
3 time within the next several weeks would
- be subject to sweeping changes, dictated
by contingencies which the administration.
the democratic house or the republican
r senate could neither foresee nor control
The best Informed leaders Of both parties
who are familiar with tariff questions
realize that whatever may be the senti-
ment throughout the country, there car
be no sudden reduction Of customs duties
y 1t is conceded that even a democratic
a house, which Immediately will be bonn.
h barded with demands for the radical mod
e ificatlon of the tariff. or even the destruc
T. lion of the protective policy. must o
i necos ssity proceed with caution.
e Democratic leaders OF the house viii
4 have many conferences in the coming ses
s sion with members of their party in tn,
senate This fact became known toda,
It when it was announced unofficially tina
j. expenditures will be considered I'm connec
e ton with revenues.
IS It was suggested that work Will be givel
IS to the committees on expenditures in tn
g various departments, which in the pas
e have been empty assignments, intende'
p only to give TO the chalrmen thereof extri
, allowances for clerk hire and simila
r porouisites in the gift OF the party whcl
J. happened to be in the majority Of tn
d house. The same condition Of affairs ha
Is existed in the serate,