The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-12-04
CONGRESS met
Continued From Page One.)

Nicaragua and Honduras; Alaskan
legislation, the election of Senators |
by direct vote of the people, pension
bills and the regular and permanent |
annual appropriations, to be under |
the direction this time in the House
by a democratic committee.
While the legislative struggles are
IN progress politics is certain not |
to be overshadowed With the dem
ocrats looking ahead with sanguine /
nope for triumph at the polls next |
November, and insurgents republi-
cans striking out in earnest TO cap /
ture their party convention if posi- .
bic; every move made in either branch !
/ Of Congress from now until adjourn /
ment will be thoroughly considered |
from political as well as legislative
viewpoints. The political pot in
Washington will soon begin to boil.
with the republican national commit
tee meeting here December 70. to be
| followed January by the democratic
national committee. Selection of
convention cities, choosing of COM
mittee chairmen who will manage the
big campaigns and plans for the ap-
preaching party conventions and the
subsequent battle of the ballots will
attract as much attention from the
nations legislators as will the max
ING c. the nations laws
TO enliven the political interest in
both Houses there are candidates for
the Presidency casting their shadows
across the horizon.
Champ Clark, the Speaker of the
House, already considered among the
democratic possibilities, may at any
tlme make presidential pronounce
ment to his colleagues; and Repre-
sentative Oscar w. Underwood, of
Alabama, the Democratic floor leader
also is talked of throughout the coun-
try as presidential timber.
In the senate, Mr. LaFollette already
mas been proclaimed by progressive
republicans as their choice to wrest
the nomination from Mr. Taft.
Bryan and Underwood.
In the House the political interest
VIII be further complicated by the at
titude of Mr.. Bryan, who has quarrel
led with Mr.. Underwood and branded
him as reactionary and now criti-
cizes Speaker Clark in what many
democrats declare is an effort to
cause a breach between the Speaker
and the majority leader of the House
The tariff legislative program will
follow the long awaited report of the
tariff board which is expected to sub
NIT the result of its investigations on
wool and cotton before the holidays.
The Ways and Means Committee Of
the House, however, under the direc-
ton of chairman Underwood, will be-
gin at once the preparation of new
tariff bills. Throughout the recess a
force of clerks and experts have been
at work preparing for the committee.
President Taft has given his pledge
that. when the tariff board submits its
report on the wooden and cotton sche-
dulles it will be his pleasure to make
tariff recommendations to Congress.
! The subject will be treated in a spe-
cial message.
Meantime, however, the Ways and .
Means Committee will begin prepare
! 20 ne
wool, cotton, iron and steel products. |
sugar and other foodstuffs. An i'm |
portant schedule to come up is. the |
sugar schedule and in dealing with /
this the House and the Ways and
Means committee will be guided |.
somewhat by the report of the spe-
cial committee of Inquiry into the
American Sugar Refining Company,
which is expected to report early in
the session.
Conspicuous in the records of the
Congress will be the coming vigorous
trust debates. The fight to amend
! the Sherman Antitrust law already
is on. In the House the question will
be first considered by the committee
on Judiciary This committee has de.
termined also to report bills amend
ing the injunction statutes and the
contempt statutes, the later to include
provision for trial by jury in cases
of indirect contempt These will be
pressed for passage before adjourn
ment.
The committee has in hand half
dozen bills providing amendment to
the Sherman antitrust law. The most
recent bill was drafted by Represen-
tative Henry, of Texas, providing for
penitentiary terms for violators of