Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-01
Senate Opens With Fight
Against Democratic Program
for Speeding Currency, Bill

The extraordinary session of Congress.
SO far as the Senate was concerned, was
merged with the first regular session OF
the Sixty-third Congress without a pei
ceptible interval. At noon Vice President
Marshall announced formally that the
extraordinary session of the Senate was
adjourned sine die. Almost in the same
breath he called to order the Senate for
the opening of the regular session.
For the second time today Rev. Forest
j. Prettyman. the Senate chaplain, Of
fered prayer in the Senate, while
senators stood beside their desks This
unusual occurrence had a precedent in
1903, when a special session of Congress
ended on the opening day of regular
session.
At the order Of the Vice President, the
roll of the Senate was called, showing
that seventy-eight senators were present.
Resolutions directing that the secretary
of the Senate inform the House that the
Senate had assembled, and that COM
mittee of two senators be appointed to
join with a similar committee from the
House to inform the President that Con-
gress was i'm session and ready to re-
ceive any communication he desired TO
make, were adopted The Vice Presi-
dent appointed Senators Kern and Gal
linger the democratic and republican
leaders respectively, as the committee
from the Senate to call upon the Presi-
dent.
Objections to 10 O'Clock.
Senator Kern offered resolution pro-
viding that until further order the
Senate should meet daily AT 10 O'Clock.
This was in accordance with the action
OF the democratic caucus of the Senate
and for the purpose Of speeding the con-
sideration of the currency bill.
sol.
that for the present the Senate continue
to meet at she usual hour, noon.
There is no disposition on the part or
the senators on the minority side to de-
lay consideration of the currency bin,
said Senator Gallinger, and l do not
think that we will hasten final action on
the measure single day by holding
meetings this week at 10 O'CLOCK IL
later it becomes necessary to hold ear
lier meetings we can do SO
Senator Kern replied that demands
were being received from all sides that
the Senate hasten action on the currency
bill. Chairman owen, he said, had given
notice that he intended 10 press for
early consideration of the bill.
a compromise was suggested by Sem
ator Gallnger, that the Senate meet for
the present at IL o'clock daily. lie said
that the republicans had 50 far held no
adopted by the democrats with regard to
consdera ton Of the currency bin. but
that he thought conference would be-
held today or tomorrow.
Senator Root interrupted To ask whcth-
er IL was the purpose Of the democrats
to prevent all meetings of Senate COM
mittees during the consideration Of the
bill He said that il Was mani
festiy impossible for the committees 10
hold meetings before 10 O'Clock in the
Willing to Be Inconvenienced.
If We are to haYe a real discussion
Of the currency bill. as q deliberative
body" said Senator Root, Il am wilinc
10 70 to the personal Inconvenience. u
coming TO the Senate 1T 10 o'clock Eut
4 this is not the purpose. and senators
intend TO absent themselves from the Sen
as soon the Senate has as
sembled leaving empty chairs ana ia.
speakers will continue to address the
empty air, then this proceeding is idle
and we ought not to indul:,e IN il"
Senator Smoot of Utah, republican. de-
rlared that he recognized the demand
which was being made throughout the
country for early action on the currency
bill and that no other Senator was more
anxious than hc far early vote. IL
;aid that he did not think. however, that
10 insist upon 10 o'clock meetings would
really hasten the action on the bill.
4 suggestion was made by Senator
Rorah that the resolution calling for
Early meetings be not presented 10 tho
senate until tomorrow, and with the
that unanimous consent
would be given that the Senate meet to-
morrow at IL o'clock and that the resolu-