The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-02
MONDAY, DECEMBER .. 1912.
THE SHORT SESSION OF CONGRESS.

THE SHORT SESSION OF CONGRESS.
when congress meets today it will be COM
posed OF body of men out of tune with the
country and many of whom have already been
repudiated al the polls The house VIII be
Democratic, but the senate and the executive
will be Republican. relicts of dead party
and of dead cause
The country has declared itself in favor
OF tariff revision and the present congress and
executive is opposed to revision, the Repuo-
Iiean senate acting a check on the Demo
cratic house The country demands currency
reform, but is opposed TO central bank as
outlined in the Aldrch plan, and the congress
ard the executive have no desire to pass a
measure more than remotely related to the
plan--rather nebulous, ii is true, but a plan
approved by the majority of the people The
country has spoken in favor of regulation OF
monopolies along the lines proposed by Louis
Brandeis and President-Elect Wilson, and con-
gress is opposed to II. The people nave ex-
pressed themselves as in favor OF much ad-
yanced legislation which Is opposed by the
present congress and the chief executive.
ABOVE ALL tue COUNTRY mas PtaNth thN 0toiiP
Of its disapproval upon what many members
i OF the horse ard senate ana President Taft
stand for and yet these hold their seats and
exercise their powers in and over the pres
ent congress
Under these circumstances the Democratic
leaders of the house are wise in their reported
decision TO apply themselves almost exclusive
1rria
tion bills and to preparing measures for con-
sideration at the hands of the special session
Il of the congress chosen by the people a month
ago. Ii is regrettable that that congress,
fresh from the people does not meet today
instead of the one SO recently repudiated but
that is a matter that cannot be helped now.
The best.s that can be done now is as near
nothing as possible. The pork barrels must
7 fr flied. The government must have funds.
This necessary work happily will consume the
tanae OF congress and the plan to devote the
short session TO appropriation bills 10 wise
one.
IL congressman feel that they must do some
thing before going in involuntary retirement
and are able to find time for something be-
sides getting Things TOT their constituents,
I they might engage themselves with the task
az making another such session this an
impossibility by the passage of resolution
for constitutional amendment, providing
& that the congress elected every two years shall
come into power few months instead of more
than year after the November elections. and
the congress repudiated at the polls shall go
out of power Immediately after the election
is possible 1t is peculiar provision of our
d tration to remain in power for more than a
year after its defeat. II is true that the presi-
u dent vacates his Office four months after the
people have spoken. but unless the new presi-
h dent calls an extra session, the new congress
does not assemble for thirteen months after
the people have expressed themselves as OPP
posed to the old and all its works. In No
vember the people declare their dissatisfac-
tion with the existing government. and a
month later that government proceeds with the
policy that has been rejected at the polls. The
only remedy Is do-nothing session. and is
what. happily, will probably have, but such
IN amendment as suggested would give us in
the future an active session OF, congress- will,
4 the voice OF the people ringing in its ears. We
would have new employees acting under in
over under notice"