The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-02
A NOTABLE SIX MONTHS.


Next Tuesday six months will have elapsed
since President Wilson called an extra session of
congress into being and before that date tariff
low will have been completely overhauled and
new one enacted and the first real currency leg.
Islation In a. generation will be on its way TO
completion.
The session has probably been the longest in
continuous session In the history of the nation
The New York World notes that the fortieth con
sfess- beginning March !, 1851, asea- ending De
cember I'd OF the year, holds the record,
but too frequent recesses so that the present con
eresa has been in session more days than any Of
it's predecessors.
at lis noteworthy also" says the World, that,
with the exception Of the Wnson-Gorman tariff,
the pending tariff bill has been under considera-
ton longer than any other measure of the kind
since the Civil War" and gives these bits Of In
teresting historical comparisons:
The Mckinley bill introduced April 16,
1899 was passed September 3oth. The wilson
German bill. introduced at q regular session De
cember 10. 1923 became law August ! g. 1894.
The pingey bill. introduced March 15 1897. was
disposed Of July cath The Payne-Aldrich bill
was discussed from March Is, 1909, until Au~
gust 9Th.
The belief Is that the Underwood Simmons
bin will become law early in October, in which
case Il Will have engaged the almost undivided
months Congress has seldom devoted six
months 70 better purpose.
Analogy has been drawn between the situation
that confronted Wilson when he entered Office
and that faced by President Cleveland in 1892.
Both felt themselves pledged to tariff and cur.
currency question as the most important az It
probably was while MIR. Wilson felt that the
reduction OF the tariff the big problem
before the party and the one platform pledge to
which more than any other the party was com.
mitted. Accordingly. Cleveland called an extra
session to settle the money question. While Mr.,
Wilson called extra session to deal prnci.
paly with the tariff. There is another difference
Cleveland was content to enact currency legis.
lation postponing tariff reform until the regular
session beginning in December. 1898. There was
strong sentiment within the party early in the
present session of congress in favor OF reversing
matters and enacting tariff legislation only, post
poning currency until the regular session. Presi.
dent Wilson and his advisers thought differently
however and insisted upon settling both Ques
tons at the present extra session.
So with the end OF the present session Of con-
eress the analogy ends. The Democratic party
will face in December other questions different
from those which wrecked the Democratic party
twenty years ago In December. 1893 the cur
rency out Of the way, but the tariff faced
the party demanding action. In 1913, exactly
twenty years later both questions are out Of the
way aud more general legislation will be
in order. The trust question will be the
chief issue between the administration on
the one hand and the Republicans. Progressives
and a few Democrats on the other. Whether Will
son will be as successful in getting his ideas on
this question into legislation he has been in
the matter Of the tariff and currency bills re
mains yet to be seen. The struggle opens in just
two months.