The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-12-08
CONGRESS OPENS
LEADERS PREDICT THAT IT. WILL
BE BUSY AND INTER-
ESTING. -
POLITICS AND LAWS MIX
Proceedings May Make and Unmake
Presidential Candidates-Trusts
and Tariff occupy Chief
Place.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
washington, ID. C.-Congress has
started once more to travel the path
OF a busy and interesting regular ses-
sion.
The two words busy" and Inter.
esting' as a forecast of the proceed
ings are used on high authority. In
the rush of the opening the comment
of the leaders was brief.
1t will be an interesting session.
Senator La Toilette.
1t will be a busy session.-Speaker
Clark.
The lower house Of congress today,
for the first time in many years at a
regular session, is in control of the
Democrats. 1t may not be necessary
to remind the country that the last
session was a special one convened
by the call Of the president, and that
its time was given up largely to the
discussion of W. subjects, the tariff
and reciprocity, subjects so nearly
akin as to be almost one flesh.
House and senate claimed the pres
ence of nearly full membership when
Speaker Clark and Vice-President
Sherman gave the authoritative
thumps of the gavel, and the authori-
tative words that consideration of leg.
islation was in order.
This Session Is Critical.
The galleries We're filled with sight
seers, for an intense interest attaches
to what is to be done at this session.
1t may be that presidential candidates
will be made or unmade by the pro-
ceedings. A slip of the tongue of
some party leader may do damage be-
yond repair to the party's prospects.
Every man in house and senate will
be on guard over his tongue, and
every bit OF proposed legislation will
be studied thoroughly by the leaders
OF the party Of the member proposing
it, to decide not only on it's probable
effect or the country. but it's effect
On politics.
AS for the Democratic leaders. they
BUELL. W NC dtlCi 1IllSd Tia IL llc TAR
iff boards report on wool is in ac-
cordance with the information gained
by members Of the ways and means
committee. which, of course. is dom
mated by the Democrats. legislation
based on the boards report must be
passed. The party leaders. however,
seem to be determined hat if the
farjff hnarIfc rnnnrt hac in II a cIlcni-
cion of leaning toward the side of du-
ties which are too high, a bill cutting
those duties shall be passed and sent
over to the Republican senate for
com~mendation or condemnation.
Trust Problem to the Fore.
No sooner had congress opened
than the trust matter again put it's
Interrogation to the lawmakers. Sew
eral bills have been drawn already
which represent the varying views of
what ought to be done to the Sher-
man law. This matter will be
thrashed out thoroughly before June
comes. and with the tariff it will &C.
cupy the chief, place of interest and
debate. -
House and senate at the last ses-
sion sanctioned a measure looking to
the popular election Of senators,
There is a difference between. the
house and senate as to the exact form
which the resolution on the subject
should take and it was left in confer
ence when the special session adj
journed. The conference committee
will meet at once and attempt to adj
just the difficulty and to make it pos
sible for the states to decide quickly
whether or not the change in the form
of election of the members OF the up.
per house shall be made.
House Leaders Are Pinned,
Representative Underwood. Demo.
crat, of Alabama, the leader of the
house Democracy and chairman of
the committee on ways and means, is
ready to combat on the tariff and the
trust questions. and other questions
for that matter, James R.. Mann, the
floor leader of the Republican minor
itv. 1t will be Mr.. Underwood's duty
and perhaps delight to try to make
capital for his party in the coming
presidential campaign, and a like duty
and delight will attach to Mr.. Mann,
who will employ his usual resource
fulness to do what he can to brighten
the presidential prospects of his
party.
In the senate within a day or two
the controversy will start anew over
the election of a president pro tenn.
Senator Frye, of Maine, who held the
Office for many years. resigned it at a
late day in the extraordinary session.
Mr.. Frye has since died.
H~ektograph Ink.