The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-16
THE HoLD-ovER CONTROL.

The present session of Congress il
an apt and striking illustration OF how
much we sro behind the times in Civ
ing effect TO the popular will "a de
clarod at an election. In Great Britain
when an election is held. Parliament
meets and the party which prevails at
the election takes Immediate charge
OF the government. In France it is
the same. In Germany il is the same
30 far as the Parliament is concerned,
but the rigidity Of hngly rule may
maintain the Ministry in spite Of an
opposition Parliament, But everywhere
throughout the civilized world it is tho
rule among governments that havo
elections TO give those elections iInmc-
diate effect. There is no reason why
in this country the canvass of votes
should not he had. the electoral vote
cast. and the new President inaugu-
rated the first of tho year, and tho
new Congress also meet at the same
time, taking immediate charge OF the
government, as the voters have au-
thorized it TO do. This is the natural
and proper thing in popular govern
ment. Otherwise, tho will of the peo-
pie is so delayed that the effect Of the
election has worn Off before the new
government takes charge.
1t is matter OF common knowledge
that the President elected last Novem-
Der is not inauguratcd until the
4th of March next. In the ordinary
course of events, Congress would not
meet in session until December of next
year; that is, considerably more than
year after its election. The fact
that a special session is promised and
is sometimes had, docs not affect the
general proposition, that our laws con.
template inordiuate delay in the
change of administration and Of Con-
grcssional membership made at the
quadrennial elections,
Take the present session Of Congress
for example. This Congress was elected
in November. 1910, and is having its
final session between the first Monday
in December and the fourth Of March
next. This final session Of the Con-
gress is passing upon matters that 20
into the next administration more than
a year. The appropriation bills that
it will pass are for the time between
July l, 1913, and June 80, 1914. That
is to say. Congress elected more than
two years ago is about to pass appro-
priation bills that viii cover the opera
tions of the government almost four
wears after the time in which the mem
bers were elected. This is utterly an
irresponsible, unbusiness-like method
of conducting the government. The
new regime should take control and
make the appropriations. It is true
that President-elect Wilson has prom
ised to call special session OF Con-
gress in April for the purpose of re-
vising the tariff. and that special ses-
SION could, theoretically, revise these
appropriation bills. but that would be
extremely unusual No special session
of Congress has ever done that sort of
thing and ii is not at all likely that
The projected special session would do
it, especially as that extra session is
,alled not for that, but for an entirely
different purpose.
But the idea that we allow Of such
Of authority SO long after
the source Of that authority has been
superseded by another verdict of the
marks us as the most reac
.ionary nation in the world that uD-
iertakes to deal through popular man
date: and it is nigh time that there
was change so as to give the people
without delay the sort Of government
that they decide in favor of at the
Presidential elections. A
amendment making that