Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-10
The LOnqest Session

The Longest Session
The longest extra session Of Congress III the his
tory of the United States has terminated by consul
tutional limitation and the regular session Is on.
The House adjourned formally, but this formality
was waived in the Senate, where efforts contil
ued to push the banking and currency bill further
toward a speedy enactment. However, i'll the Senate
as In the House, must be opened the way for the ill
PRODUCTION and consideration Of other measures than
those to which the deliberations of the special ses-
sion have been restricted. 1t is not surprising, as
announced in Washington dispatches that the
President and the leaders of his party in Congress,
are exerting themselves toward combining work as
nearly as possible to continued consideration Of the
currency bill to the exclusion of other matters This
is their obvious policy and WHILE the stands
it must be manifested in the Senate first it must
be manifested later in the House. when the bill, freely
amended as the Senate will pass it, is returned to
that body for concurrence in the amendments. Some
of the amendments will be of character markedly
changing the bill which passed the House about three
months ago. The House majority may still be as
amenabe to party discipline as it was at that time
but with the appropriation bills and flood of other
bills then on the calendar and under consideration
and in which members will be more particularly in
terested the progress of the revised measure through
the House cannot be as rapid as the administrations
will want to have it. We likely to see violations
and distortions of House rules, and perhaps some
czarism in the chair facilitating it's passage But
there is small prospect that banking and currency
bill of any kind will reach the president before the
end Of his first year in Office.
The hope has frequently been expressed that, if
we must have tinkering with banking and currency,
as well as with tariff schedules the work could be
finished before the end of the special session. Had
1t has to deal with, in financial as we'll as fiscal re-
adjustments Under the continuing uncertainty there
is likely to be continuing hesitation in enterprises
and investment. Industry and commerce find them
selves forced to new bases Of cost in production
under new tariff law, and threatened with change
of base in credits under pending measures, the final
character of which cannot be discounted in advance
Accordingly the longest special session of Congress
In history can hardly be called success Combining
its work. under the CALL to the consideration of but
two measures designed to be Complementary it has
spent seven and half months in constant debatings
and ends with its appointed work but half DONE Far
better for the continuing prosperity of the country
would it have been to have left all of it unlone
than to have disarranged the business system with
new fiscal legislation and leave hanging over it tho
threat of financial legislation to dsarrange the
credit system, as WE'LL
In all probability the administration program,
during the regular session. will be Of continuing
restriction within such limitations as the president
shall prescribe. We find this program to be fore.
Swallowed in all the Washington news Mr. Wilson
is certain to find much more difficulty in enforcing
such q restriction than he has experienced during
the special session The congressional elections are
now less than year distant. One-third of the SEN
ators. and all of the Representatives must begin
q m rOnSt ncio
which is less Interested in Offices than in improve.
ments appropriations and legislation affecting par.
tcuar interests. will be difficult, il impossi-
ble, to prevent consideration Of wide range Of bills
which will have found place the calendar and
q reference to committee. II restrictive working
program can be put through at ALL it can only be
by trades and combinations which are sure to make
wreck Of economy in the appropriations and may re-
suit In much evil legislation for the enrichment of
private interests at public expense. The special SEES
sion has been comparative failure. The regular
session may be even greater failure.
Looked at strictly as financial investments Anna
Gould has had mighty poor luck in picking noble
men.
From the news reports OF the White House wed
ding it appears that young Mr. sayre also partici-
pated
A defendant IN an ANTITRUST action has filed a
miuionword brief in the appellate court This partly
accounts for the laws delay.
Aren't those pert Republican congressman the lin
II. though? They are impudently demanding to knew
Why the new tari6 has not lowered the high cost OF
living O II the Democrats had the faintest idea
-----------------
M. Taggart who has just recaptured Indianapolis,
~ refused offer Of $35Oo0oo for his French Lick
springs resort Mr. Murphy is having troubles galore
Mt M TasEart seems to be residing on the street
selIsa Eesy.