Evening star., 1913-07-13
CONGRESS FACES
LONG, HARD GRIND
Many Weeks Will Elapse Be-
fore Adjournment Is
Thought Of.
NEXT REGULAR SESSION
ALSO WILL BE BUSY ONE
New Administration Has a Most
Ambitious Program Ahead
of It.


brow contemplates the uncut field before
him. your congressman pauses these days
to look about him and view the legisla-
tive landscape DER
Here they've been in session since the
first Monday in last December. barring
the interval between March 4 and April
Is. and the prospect is they will be at it
for a couple of months more any how.
Whenever they do adjourn they will
hardly get settled down at home before
they will have to pack up to come back
in December for another long spell.
For there is an ambitious program cut
out for the new administration. a large
section of it devolveut upon congressional
action. Revising the tariff is but por-
ton of it. There is legislation upon va
rious subjects to be passed. in order that
the administration may fulfill the pledges
of the democratic platform SO earnestly
registered just a year ago.
Bound to Be Busy Session.
Assuming that currency will be acted
upon at this session. there remain
changes in the interstate commerce law,
in the antitrust law, in labor laws, in
Immigration laws in judiciary questions,
in relations with oversee possessions and
a thousand and one other matters. Then
there are public buildings. river and
harbor improvements and other pork
barrel items of legislation. The regular
session is bound to be busy one.
No one finds fault with the tariff leg
isiation so far as it has progressed. The
HaSh-in- -the-pan preliminary work of the
last House-in session with republi-
can Senate and a republican President
made the tariff task easier. The House
passed it with record speed. Neither is
there unfayorsb!e comment upon the ac-
ton of the Senate. 1t Is said that only
the deliberation consistent with the dig
nifty OF that body can be alleged against
the consideration of the bill by the COM
mittee on finance.
A lively and very practical incentive to
speedy conclusion of the tarin Is said to
be found in the action of the Senate in
not only refraining from advancing the
rates of the House bill, but actually fall
Ing under them in the average.
Is Novel Experience.
This is a novel experience in tariff
tinkerfng Usually the delay has oc-
CURED by the Senate advancing the
House rates. just by habit, 1t would seem
as it always hoists the appropriation bills
The differences between the House and
Senate rates have in the past led to long
struggles between the two bodies in con-
ference. delaying final action
But now the House and Senate are so
cioSe together on the rates that congress
sional experts think ii will be possible to
get together quickly in conference. A
very little compromise giving here and
taking there, would bring nine-tenths Of
the disputed items into concurrence, it il
said
The bin is now In the Senate and there
IS nothing to do but talk about it, al
though the tariff has almost been talked
threadbare, IT is said. in the past four
years The debate on the Payne-Aldrich
bill in 1900 was exhaustive. Then follow
ed the debate in both houses on Canadian
reciprocity, which covered a wide range
Then there was the debate in the House
in the last Congress on the full sched-
ules.
Long Debate Expected.
If any one can find anything new to be
said about the tariff ne will be wonder
10 the veterans about Congress But OF
course. there are the new senators who
haven't had their fling, and full six
week debate is expected in the Senate.
The republicans are not lining up for
much OF a struggle They realize the in
evitable and more than that. they want
the democrats 10 hurry up and do their
worst. so that the expected reaction may
set in.
There will be some mighty disappointed
republicans in Congress II that reaction
sllps a cog ana QOeSn Set They are
stalking their all upon it, They've got
TO draw TO fill and il they don't draw the
right cards they feel that they'd might as
we'll throw their hands in the discard and
cash in.
Both political parties-pardon all three
political parties-are looking forward for
another tryout In the next congressional
elections Legislation and executive ad-
ninistration for the next twelvemonth will
he the touchstone Of success or failure
for the party in power. it is realized
Republicans Only Hope.
Old politicians comment upon the fac,
that the republicans in the past used 10
claim that the democrats never came into
power except on the heels of calamity
while now the only hope of the republic
ans, 1t is claimed, OF getting back into
power is through calamity expected To
follow the democratic regime.
Where the bull moosers hope to come
IN - not yet made clear, and nobody
quite understands their program. They
cannot claim to benefit by possible dis
aster for tariff reduction, it is said, thu
republicans being the residuary legatee
IN that event through their consistent ad-
herence TO protection. upon which policy
the bull moosers are weak.
All that the bull moosers are doing now
= to throw bricks at both the old par
plan which is not already pre-empted b,
the democrats. In the possible skinnins
or the democratic donkey the bul
noosers will get only the TAIL the old.
line republicans claim.
Currency Bill Progresses.
Currency legislation is progressins
slowly, but it is admitted by congress
men. progressing persistently and thai
in the face OF almost heartbreaking on
position. Despite the holding back. th,
Indifference and in cases the absolute
disaffection OF some democrats TO tn,
Presidents currency plan. the bill 4.
going steadily through the planning MILL
The House committee has got down t.
actual consideration of the bill by sched
ules- The Senate committee, IL is pre-
dicted, will soon be engaged in simila
work. The more optimistic in the Hous,
predict that the currency bill will be vi
for debate in the House within month
Wilson Is Determined.
Pcesident Wilson will put his shoulde
20 the wheel when he comes back thi.
&sek. u 10 rot denied that all tE,