Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-07
NEW ERA MARKED
BY 63D CONGRESS
Unusual Scenes Witnessed at
the Opening Sessions
Today.
OLO-TIME LEADERS GONE:
NEW FACES NUMBER $50
Triumphant Democracy for First
Time in Eighteen Years Ready
to Frame Tariff Bill.

President already familiar with some of
the details of national legislation, the first
session Of the Sixty third Congress began
| To-Day as the hands Of the Capitol clock
met upon the tick Of noon.
Summoned by President Wilson for the
express purpose of revising the tariff and
redeeming the campaign pledges of the
successful party in that respect. the first
| big business, and perhaps the only busi-
| ness Of this session, Will be the discussion
| of the Underwood traiff bill, which was
! laid before the House at an early hour.
| This tariff law, which will be passed at
| this special session. will be the first gen.
eral democratic revision of the revenue
| law since the act of August %, 1894,
known to history as the Wilson German
law, and which President Cleveland al
lowed to become law without his hig-
nature.
The usual dignified opening OF the
Senate was marred by the appearance in
the gallery Of a young man, who after
trying vainly to get the attention Of Vice
President Marshall, started down the
steps Of the Senate gallery shouting: MIR.
Chairman, Mr.. Chairman He was
quickly hushed by a doOrkeeper and led
from the gallery. He explained his con-
duct by the assertion that he was dis
ciple Of peace and had message on that
subject for the Vice President.
Marked a New Era.
The scene at the opening Of the session
was unusual in many respects. and marks
new era in the history of national legis-I
lation. While both branches of Congress
1or fol in,
the House. where the total enrolment is
49,. compared to 396 at the last session.
there are $50 more new faces; and old
time leaders who have made history for
two decades were absent. Among these
were former Speaker Cannon, John Dal-
zell of Pennsylvania, Samuel w. Mccall
of Massachusetts, e. J. Hill OF Connect
cut and Nicholas Longworth Of Ohio. All
OF these were identified prominently with
the legislation and republican politics in
the last few years. but are no longer
members of the House. To accommodate
any desks and swiveled chairs have been
taken out and curved wooden benches with
broad arms and heavily padded backs
and seats swing through the hall in SEMI
circular fashion, and from now on there
An Early Gathering.
AS usual on the opening day, there was
an early gathering Of the lawmakers:
Although scores of them have been in
town for weeks, they have not all been
thrown together in the halls of the Sen
ate and House, and there was more than
the usual amount of handshaking and
observation-disclosures and unreserved in
the House and with senatorial reserve
in the other end Of the Capitol. The
crowded galleries, where the colors of
spring showed in the gowns and hats
Of the women present, made a notable
picture. Seats to view the first days
business were at a premium, and wives
and daughters and friends of congress-
men We're about the only fortunate citi-
zens of this nation who looked down
upon the organization of the first ses
sion of the Sixty-third Congress.
The Senate had completed it's organiza-
ton early in March, during the special
session called TO act on President Will
sons appointments. Vice President Mar
shall served his early apprenticeship as
a presiding officer. and the democratic
leaders took charge of the Senate elected
officers and chose committees at that ses-
sion. and were prepared for general leg
islative work ,day
The Presidents Message.
President Wilson will read his message
in person. to both houses shortly after the
beginning of the session tomorrow In his
call sumrhoning the extra session of Con-
gress the President did not specify the
| Po,
1t is. of course expected that the message
will urge an early action upon the tariff
| as the first duty OF the democratic major
| ity Of the two hauses, but that 1t will leave
the way open for action upon other mat
| ters. Among these are a possible modi-
| fcation of the nations currency system.
! a scheme for Philippine independence,
| for repeal of the Panama canal free toll
provision and for the immediate construc.
| ton of government-owned railways in
| Alaska.
| While the tariff bill has been worked
out in secret behind the doors of the com
mittee on ways and means, it is probable
| that the bill will be in such shape that
| democratic majorities in both House and
Senate will carry through the program
of revision determined upon by recent
| conferences in which the President. Rep
resentative Underwood and Senator Sim
mons, tariff leaders. have been the nrn
cipals. OF course. there will be bitter at
| tacks by local interests upon individual
items. There will be democrats who will
| fight for high protection on some item In
| which their constituency is vitallv con-
cerned, and there will be cross fires of In
dividual opinion which will add excite
ment to the long and dry list Of schedules
and figures which form the structure OF
! @ tariff debate.
Enormous Democratic Majority.
| Nevertheless, the democratic majority
In the House is enormous. That party
has a majority of more than 40 in the
House, it's membership Of 2SS being dou-
BILE the combined strength of the repuh-
licans and progressives. In the Senate
the democrats have fifty-one and tbe
combined republican and progressive
strength is forty-five This margin ;s
| counted on to secure favorable action on
/ the tariff. However. there Is always a
possibility that sectional and state inter
| ests of democratic senators will bring
about a combination against certain
| features Of the bill In which several dem
ocratic votes might be swayed from sun
port of the measure.
For the first time progressives appear
pContinued on Second Page)