The Washington herald., 1915-01-17
Political Situation.

If the shipping purchase bill does not become
| a law, President Wilson threatens extra ses-
sion
Ii the President is as good as his word, an
extra session will be held. The chances a
hundred to one that the shipping bill will not be
voted upon in the Senate before the gavel falls
at noon on March I. All last week was spent
in consideration OF the District of Columbia ap-
preparation bilI-one of the smallest and least in
consequential of all the budgets-and there are a
dozen or more to be debated. In addition to the
appropriation bills the House will undoubtedly
send over to the Senate river and harbor appro-
priation bill proposing an expenditure OF $4,000
600, and this one measure, as experience has shown
in the past contains enough debatable matter to
occupy weeks OF time What show then, has the
shipping bill? The President may manifest some
impatence and the Democratic Senators who want
to help him may show irritation, but that
will not change the situation. The Republicans are
solid against the measure and number OF Demo-
Gratis secretly sympathze with the opposition, so
that the fate OF the bill seems already sealed
1t looks as if the responsibility of ordering or
avoiding extra session OF Congress will rest
with the President. His probable course OF action
is already i topic OF speculation among leading
Democrats and Republicans in both Houses.
Extra Sessions and Their Political Results.
Ii the comfort and convenience OF Senators and
Representatives are alone consulted, the President
will forget his threat OF an session and let
the Shipping bill and all other legislation go over
until next December
But Presidents, even those with less pertinacity
than Woodrow Wilson. do not always consider
tho personal element in the situation. Take Presi-
dent TAFT for example. He called All extra session
OF Congress in April. 1911. ior the purpose OF
cnactng legislation TO carry into effect the recpro
city treaty with Canada. He did this too, when
lie knew that the House would be controlled by
Il hostile political party, 1t is bit of unwritten
history that when President TAFT foresaw that the
reciprocity legislation would not be passed in the
regular Scssion-just as the shipping bill seems
now doomed to dcicat-hc sent for Speaker Clark
and Representative Underwood TO ask them what
course the Democrats would pursue in the House
if he convened the new Congress. 1t is no secret
to state that they were surprised that such
thought was in the Presidents mind, for both of
them regarded the proposed step as the very epit-
ONE of political unwsdom They told the Pres
dent, however, that the House would pass the
bill and relying upon this information
which proved accurate and being determined to
secure the desired legislation, the necessary procla
nation was issued.
But the political result was disastrous. Presi-
dent Tait's devotion to the Canadian reciprocity
idea alicnatcd from him practically the entire
farmer vote. The border States, where the vot-
ing population Is largely agricultural seethcd with
Indignation against him. One OF the hardest things
ior tho Republican managers to combat in 1912
vas Tafts record on Canadian reciprocity. That
was one extra session, therefore, that played
havoc with the party in power.