The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-06
DRAMATIC SCENES MARK CLOSE 0F
 61ST CONGRESS Bitterness, Strife and In- tense Feeling Shown in
 Both Branches TAFT'S PLANS MET
 AN UTTER DEFEAT Senate Drops Cloak of Dignity and RiOtous Scenes Occur in Both
 Houses-Bailey's Sensa-
 tional Resignation
BY PATTERSON srEALEY

Washington, March 5.-(Special)- With the Presidents Canadian reciproc- ity bill allowed to die on the calendar by a republican majority in the Sen ate and the vote on the tariff board bill in the House running into the hour of adjournment and forcing the withdrawal of that measure. Congress adjourned yesterday only to have the turbulent scenes of it's expiration eclip- sed by the sensational announcement of Senator Joseph W. Bailey of Texas that he had resigned his seat in the United States Senate. Later MT. Bailey announced the withdrawal of his resig- nation.
 On the heels of these stirring events came the proclamation of the President calling Congress to meet in extraordi- nary session one month later, when the new Senate with a republican ma jority of but eight, and the new House with a democratic majority of 65 will assemble to revise the tariff and in vestigate the government departments.
 Senator Bailey offered his resigna- ton from the Senate by reason of the IaCl lHdl all Ol lLe Seudlt with the exception of Overman of North Carolina. Taliaferro of Florida and himself voted for the recal land initia- tive and referendum in the Arizona constitution. The senator has been bit terly opposed to these provisions and. angered by the fact that practically the entire democratic side voted for them indirectly when they cast their ballots for the approval of the Arizona he immediately wrote out his resignation to the vice president and telegraphed Governor Colquitt or Texas that he had taken this action.
 Creates No Surprise
 Those who have closely watched the congressional career of the brilliant Texan were not greatly surprised at his wholly unexpected action. With all his giant intellect and great abil ity. Senator Bailey has been the despair of his intimate friends in his utter in ability to govern his temper. He has repeatedly flown into a rage on the floor of the House and later the Sen ate. He has denounced right and left and has not spared anyone who failed to agree with him on matters most trivial It may be said now that he is not on speaking terms with many of his colleagues in Congress. With this view of the inner nature of the man, to whom his enemies pay equal tribute with his most extravagant ad mirers, it is not difficult to understand Senator Bailey's resignation. The whole truth is that in a fit of temper he has displayed childishness not at all for eign to him. He felt that his party colleagues in the Senate were commit ting such a grave mistake that he did not longer care to sit in the same body with them. He regarded difference of opinion as a personal affront.
 Riotous Disorder Marks Close
 In riotous disorder such as has marked few former sessions in the country's history. with bold defiance of constituted authority and almost open violence shown in the one branch and unprecedented bitterness strife and feeling, leading to the attempted res ignation of one senator and the re- fusal of another to speak to the Pres ident of the United States. in the oth- er, the Sixty first Congress came to close. The dignity and decorum of the Senate dropped from 1t as a cloak and savage and exciting were the final scenes in that body. Over in the House, for two hours before the gavol of Speaker Cannon fell for the last time. pandemonium reigned and there was sight worth seeing. It was sad, sad blow to the idea that the Congress of the United States is a deliberative body. The rush and whirl of the leg islative wheels was frightful to see and literally billions of dollars of the peoples money have been appropriated in bills, the contents of which, except n a dim and hazy way, are known to but a handful of the men who voted upon them.
 Within three hours after the adjourn ment President Taft issued a call con vening the Sixty second Congress, one branch of which will be controlled by the democrats and the other by dem crats and insurgents. in extraordinary session, Tuesday, April 4. Every pet project he had. every proposition be- hind which he had placed himself and his administration was slain-tariff board bill. Canadian reciprocity agree ment, statehood bills and the rest. Some of them were ruthlessly and joyously murdered in the open; others were silently stranged in committees; other ignominiously ignored upon the cal- endars. Not in the recollection of the oldest of the veterans here has Pres ident so lamentably and pitiably failed in Congress both branches of which are controlled by his own party through overwhelming majorities.
 Reciprocity Defeated
 His reciprocity agreement arranged by himself and his Secretary of State with the Canadian ministers and with out consultation with senators of his party, was contemptuously left on the calendar where 1t has been for two weeks awaiting action. No move-no suggestion toward passing it, or even voting upon it was made.
 Up to the last minute 1t had been hoped that the Senate would at least yield sufficiently to have roll call thereon, even though the vote killed the agreement but no such thing hap pened. The Senate proceeded until the last as if the agreement had never ex- | isted and 1t was nor once mentioned His tariff board bill was passed by the | Senate early in the morning and went | back to the House, where under the l brilliant leadership of Representative | Fitzgerald 1t was slaughtered despite tn e | fact that a big majority of the mem l bers were prepared to vote for it. | In beating this bill the democratic
 leaders believe they have scored their
 most notable victory of the session i Their view is that it was nothing more
 nor less than a cleverly contrived piece
 of republican politics intended and de-
 signed to embarrass and handicap the democratic politics in the framing UT of new tariff law. which they will
 immediately start on April 4. That MT | Taft threw every ounce of influence
 he could muster behind the reciprocit, agreement and the tariff board bill Is
 lSnewn to all. Rarely as party gone