The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-03-12
EXTRA SESSION AND
DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY

Washington dispatches state that
tae action Of President Taft in call
ing The Sixtysecond congress into
extra session within two hours az
ter final adjournment OF the Sixty
first came as an actual surprise
to some of the Republican leaders.
Considering the lack OF stability as
shown by the president on former
occasions, notably In connection
with the Payne-Aldrich revision or
the tariff, ii must be said that This
surprise was not altogether without
iustilicauol4 The important fact,
however, Is that in this latest fight
between himself and the reacti0nary
standpat element OF his party Mr..
Taft has stuck to his guns from
the start, firmly helu his position
to the finish. and, in short, to use
the expressive parlance OF the day
made good" In this, we believe,
the people Of the country regardless
of party affiliation or section Will
rejoice, Courageous flrmness always
elicits admiration even from those
VINO may not approve the cause in
which exerted.
The special purpose for which
congreis has been called into ex-
traordinary session Is to ratify the
Canadian reciprocity agreement that
tailed OF adoption by the congress
just expired. That The Democrats
will do their best to give force TO
that pact goes without saying, So
much has Mr.. TAFT the right TO count
on and the changed complexion OF
the senate iustifies the expectation
That the opposition khere will no
longer be formidable Equally Ger
tain ought ii to be that the Demo.
Gratis will seize the opportunity pre-
serted TO enter promptly upon at.
tempts to revise some OF the most
glaring, oppressive and niqultous
schedules of the tariff now in force,
undeterred by any threat OF presiden-
tial veto or the clamor of the protect
ed interests as to disturbing business
To fail SO 20 DO would be not only a
tactical blunder of the worst descrip-
tioE, but also direct evasion of the
responsibility placed on their should
crs by the people at the November
elections. They asked for and OBJ
tanned control OF the house or rep.
resentatiyee on the plea that they
would use II, II given to them, to re-
yoke the policies which had proyoK
cd the country to oust the Republic
ans. III tdey do not promptly and
honestly seek to redeem that pledge
they ila turn will forfeit public con
fidence and be deprived OF power
That they may not be able at this
time to place on the statute hooks
cnactmen1s fully remedial or ths
speculative features on the Aldrch
tariff law constitutes no reason VIII
they should not exert themselye
10 Che limit OF their ability to th'
accomplishment of that end III thei
efforts to execute the popular viii
ard the popular mandate be BLOCK
ed by non acqu!escence on the par
Of a Republican senate or by refusa
Of Republican, president to approx
then The responsibility for a contir
uance OF present conditions Wi
have been placed where it belongs
In such event The electorate OF th
country could be safely trusted 70 +,
move the obstacles to tariff reforI
by giving the Democratic party d
reetion and control OF an the depar
ments Of the Washington goyerrmer
az The election ia 1912
The conyening Of congress in extr
session on April ith viii mark tn
real opening Of the next PRESIDENT;
campaign To our mind it can liz
be regarded other than as a DEM
cratic opportunity; and as it shall
improved or wasted, so will be III
measure OF Democratic success ne,
| Nanr