The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-24
Mn. WILSON IN CONGRESS.
Speculation as TO His Future Relations
With the LAW Makers

With the Law MAX ers..
From an Occasional Correspondent Of TIE suS.
WASHINGTON, May 23.--Now that
President Wilson's programme for the
present session OF the Sixty-third Con-
gress has been published, those who az.
sert that they have knowledge of his
plans for the future are discussing In
terestedly what. they say. he may be
expected to ask from the lawmakers
when they reassemble for the short
session. His plans in regard to them
are of course subject to revision by the
November elections.
Should these elections go against the
Adminlstration-and the record shows
that in the last half century the Ad-
ministration has lost the House In half
Of the mid-term electlons-the expiring
Congress will be asked to speed up its
machinery and enact all of the legisla-
ton the President is most anxious to
have put on the books during his term
Should a majority favorable to Mr..
| Wilson be returned, the demands on
the men now In office may be moderated
and some projects will be withheld Until
the Sixty-fourth Congress comes into
being. An extraordinary session for
this body in 1915, should the Democrats
It Is realized by M. Wilson's
| friends that the removal OF Mr.. Under
wood from House TO Senate Is sure to
| be great loss to the White House.
Mr.. Underwood's conduct in the tolls
repeal struggle was characteristic of
the man. He opposed the repeal. and
had he exerted to their utmost his
, great personal popularity and the power
/ of his leadership, the contest would
have been far more bitter and much
closer in its event than 1t Was. MIR.
/ Underwood refrained from embarra ssing
/ the President more than was necessary
/ to defend his convictions. A less gener-
| Gus man might have acted otherwise, q
fact that is generally recognized here.
I.atterly the majority in the House
has not followed even Mr.. Underwood
with the unanimity that characterized
IL in the early days OF this Congress
| and In the Sixty-seconC Congress, when
| the Democrats were In the politicians
| paradise-control OF one body in BIZ
/ cameral Legislature, with the executive
department opposed to them. There has
been friction. Ill feeling and complaining
ending recently in revolt. The malcon-
tents won a victory OF record In the rural
credits fllibuster. In opposition to the
! President and despite Mr.. Undcrwood's
authority and popularity. This revolt
was ominous. following as It did exhibit
lions of contumacy with regard TO the
Presidents wishes previously curbed
and suppressed by Mr.. Underwood.
Even We're the Alabama tariff expert
to remain In the House and remain in
his leadership. there is nothing TO guar
antee a continuation of harmony under
4. lin -. -. Vg.h
another in MIR. Underwood's place,
there are likely TO be Interesting de-
/ velopments in the House OF Represent
atives.
Nor should the fact be overlooked
that In the Siyty-fourth Congress the
Republicans, who hope to control the
House, and are confident that In any
event they will cut the Democratic ma
Jority to a close margin, will begin the
lively and trouble making preparation
OF campaign material for 1916. Mr.
Mann, the present minority leader. will
unquestionably be ,sck In his seat. and
he is an antagonist capable of keeping
the majority on pins and needles all the
time. Mr.. Mann and his associates have
not been Idle since Mr.. Wilson entered
office. but what they have done was
merely practice for what they plan
TO do hereafter.
, Thus II will be seen that Mr.. Wilson
is in for a lively time any way. and
can expect nothing more from the
, Sixty-fourth Congress whatever IL
complexion than he is likely to gel
from the Sixty-third For this reason
some OF his friends feel that he should
pile up the work between now and mex
spring. proceeding on the theory tina
his power will be much diminished
, after this fall and quite curtailed afteI
March 4. Some would have hin
, extend the present session indef
nitely in spite OF the members desire t.
get away. But Mr.. Wilson is awsr,
that many Representatives now resen
the manner in which they have beef
, crowded. His long experience IL
Princeton taught him that boys must
, not be pressed beyond a certain limit
and his observations here have impressed
on him the belief that members o
Congress are but children of a large
, growth. Hence the determination. &C
, cepted here as the Presidents will, no
to bear hardly on tho lawmakers II
, the short session. save In case OF part!
, disaster at the polls, and to trust L
the good will and ambitions of the mel
, in the majority in the Sixty-fourtl
Congress, should the House of tina
body be Democratic.