The citizen., 1913-12-05
THE MEETING OF THE REGU-
LAR SESSION OF CONGRESS
AND ITS WORK.

On MONDAY Of this week the extra
session ended by operation Of law.
The extra session that terminated on
Monday last at twelve clock was called
to meet by President Wilson shortly af-
ter his Inauguration on the fourth day Of
March and terminated by the regular
session of Congress which by the law
meets ON the first Monday of December
every two years.
The extra session was the longest ses-
sion ever held by any extra session
named and was by far the most important
one that ever was called in the history Of
the nation and, perhaps, accomplished
more of good for the people Of the coun-
try than any ever assembled.
1t passed the Tariff bill which was
great work and entailed vast amount of
investigation and opposition in every step
of the process,
Suffice it to say the work Of the extra
session was well and thoroughly done
and Congress deserves for it the thanks
and gratitude Of the people Of all parties
and all interests, even the selfish inter
est, because we believe and it seems to be
conceded generally that the present tariff
law reducing the tariff to law or reve-
nue. standard will result in increased
business and lower prices and at the same
time no seriou, injury will result to any
class
1t was not the intention in the pas.
sage CT the Tariff bill to injure any class
but the intention was to benefit all class
es Of the people and thereby increase the
general prosperity of the whole country
and We have no doubt that result will
follow the operation of the law. The
Tariff bill adopted Congress went to
work to adopt new currency law.
The old currency laws and the Ma
ton Bank system had been for years a
VICIOUS and an oppressive system from,
and by which the general public suffered
great wrong and oppression and many
abuses had crept into the operation of
the system.
There was therefore but one thing to
do and that was imperatiye-which was
to adopt a new currency system.
The necessity for this was seen and
admitted by the Republicans while they
were still in power and they were at the
time Mr. Wilson was elected President
engaged iD an effort to frame a new cnr.
rtncy. The Democrats therefore when
the tariff bill was finished turned their
iabor' to the task of framing a new cur.
rency and had made great progress when
the extra session terminated on Monday
and the regular session succeeded to the
work begun by the special session. and it
now only remains for the regular session
to finish that.
1t is indicated now that this bill will
be completed at an early day and the
people will be relieved of the incubus of
the old currency and banking systems.
and be vastly benefited by new and
better currency and banking system.
Under the old system the government
was too much in the banking business
and the national banks were too much in
the government business and the people
suffered as was inevitable under such a
system
The banks seemed to have the idea
that the national currency was created
for the banks instead of for the people,
and treated the currency as their per-
sonal chattel and the government under
the Republican policy seemed to treat
the currency as thing belonging to the
banks.
SO that the banks were in fact in con-
troll of the administration of the govern
ment. They formed what was, if not
in name, it was in full trust.
They boarded up vast sums of money
and loaned it out at high rates for the
.n'r~y,esn of -nacnlatinn hv the stock ex-