The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-03-01
A GREAT DEMOCRATIC oPPoR.
TUNITY.

1t is practically determined now
ttlat an extraordinary session of con-
gress will be held. There is no prob
ability and scarcely possibility that
the senate Win reach a vote on the
Canadian reciprocity measure at this
session, which comes to close on
Saturday of this week, and the presi-
dent has declared that if no vote is
reached at this session he will submit
the agreement to an extraordinary
session, called for the purpose of pass
ing upon it. He has SO far progress
ed in his belief that an extra session
will be necessary that he has confer
red with Speaker-to-be Clark and Rep.
resentatives Underwood, who will he
the chairman of the ways and means
committee of the next house of rep;
resentatives, and has agreed with
them upon a convenient date for the
opening OF the session, the same be
ing April 4, next, just a month after
the close. OF the present session.
AT. the extra session the democrats
will be in control of the house, and
will have increased representation in
the senate. They will be in excellent
strategic. position to consider the
whole question of the tariff. They
nave already given their support to
the Canadian reciprocity agreement
which is the first measure promising
relief from the excessive impositions
of the Payne-Aldrich tariff act that
has emanated from President Taft
and the first indication by the repuD-
lican president of practical realization
OF the obligations of his party, accept
ed in the campaign of 1908, to revise
the tariff downward, in order to low
er the cost of living. The republic
ans In the house arrayed themselves
in majority against the agreement,
and in the senate they have prevent
shown to less advantage in this mat
ter than any other section of the con-
gress. They have been crying against
the tariff impositions of the Payne-Al-
drich act, yet they have baked at the
first response that the chief of their
party has made to the demand for re-
lief that they have been pretending
to represent. They will doubtless OPP
pose the agreement at the extra ses-
sion and they may bic able to prevent
its ratification, by alliance with the
reactionaries in their own party whom
they have so bitterly assailed, but
in order to do SO they will have to ar
ray themselves against the sentiment
of the country as expressed by the ma
jority party returned by the people at
the recent election, and against the
president and the leader of their own
party who, in proposing this measure
makes it clear that he is carrying out
what he believes to be the demand
of the people for relief from an IN
tolerable tariff burden. The democrats
will speak with the authority of a
fresh commission from the people
| and will be able to point to the con
viction of President Taft of the cor
rectness of their Interpretation of the
popular desire.
They will be- atle to proceed from
this, by logical progress, to gener
| al plan for revision of the tariff. which
will prove exceedingly difficult to the
republicans. In principle, TIE presi
dent has admitted that the Payne-Al
drich tariff act is burdensome in its
effect upon the general cost of living
to the people, and the insurgents are
on record as holding the same belief
| It will require considerable agility or
the part of the president and of the
insurgent republicans to oppose any
general tariff legislation, and theil
undertaking to do so should cause {
popular dissatisfaction that will %
vance farther the already very brigh
prospects of the democrats for com
mission by the people in full authori
| ty of the government. The extra SEES
sion should be great democratic op