The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-04-12
CONGRESS- AND THE PRESIDENT.

The special session Of the sixty.
third congress called by President
Wilson convened at Washington last
Monday. The senate had reorgan-
ized in March Immediately after the
expiration of the term OF the sixty
second congress, hence that BODY
had nothing to do in the way OF
electing officers. The house of rep
resentatives reelected Hon. Champ
Clark Of Missouri as speaker over
Congressman James R. Mann of Il
linois, Republican, and Congressman
Victor Murdoch Of Kansas, Progress
sive. The remaining offices in the
house We're filled by the nominees
of the Democratic caucus, most of
whom We're the former incumbents.
Only three or four committees, in
Guiding the ways and means com
mittee and the committee on rules.
have been appointed as yet, and
formation of the others will be de-
ferred until the necessity therefor is
developed by the progress of bust
ness. If the attention of the body
is confined to tariff legislation
throughout the special session, as
seems likely to be the case, the full
quota of committees will probably not
be organized until the regular ses-
sion opens next December.
On Tuesday President Wilson car
ried out his previously announced
determination Of delivering his mes
sage to the congress in person. This
was the first time such a proceeding
had been witnessed at Washington
since the time of President John
Adams, more than a hundred years
ago, and naturally it caused great
sensation. The senate and house
met jointly In Representative Hall
and listened to the reading of the
message by the president, who was
received with hearty applause and
accorded wrapt attention during the
eight minutes consumed in present
ing his views on the revision of the
country's tariff system, which he
declared it the duty of the new adj
to effect at once in
redemption of the pledges to the
people contained in the Democratic
platform adopted at Baltimore.
On Monday Mr.. Underwood, chair
man of the house ways and means
committee, introduced the tariff. bill |
which is to form the basis of the |
sessions work, and which President |
Wilson and the Democratic leaders
n congress hope to see enacted in
% law without material change. The |
measure provides for sweeping reduc-
ions, >of duties on a large number /
# imports and the placing of many
N the free list which are dutiable
lnder the present law.
Louisiana's three great industries
sugar, rice and lumber-are hard
lit. It is proposed to reduce the
sugar tariff about Is per cent for
hree years and then put sugar on
he free list, Rice is treated al
most as badly with a reduction of
o per cent in prevailing duties.
lumber is reiegated to he free list.
The Louisiana delegation in con-
sress is united=in opposition to the
ill as framed and will leave no eff
oru untried to have it amended SO
IS to deal less harshly with the in
iustries in which their state has
uch a great and vital interest. +
Their main reliance is in the senate,
where it is hoped to obtain the CO.
peration of a sufficient number of
Democratic dissenters to prevent the
assage of the measure in it's pres
nt form. The contest promises to
e close and stubborn, and its out
ONE cannot be predicted with any
egree of certainty.