The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-06
CONGRESS STARTS
TODAY ON LONG.
LIVELY SESSION
Wilson to Lay Groundwork
for 1915 ~PlatfOrm-Bitter
Fight Promised.
DEMOCRATIC LEAD CUT;
REPUBLICANS CONFIDENT

WASHINGTON, Dec. B.-Everything II
IN readiness for the assembling Of the
sixty-fourth Congress at o o to-mor-
row. n new Congress will come into
being under conditions that sesm TO fore
shadow one Of tho liveliest sessions In
many years.
This winter the Administrator will
put the final touches on the legislative
record that will form the groundwork
for the platform on which Woodrow Will
son will make his second race for the
Presidency.
The Republicans are convinced that
he Administration " on the down grade
and that mistakes In legislation and
factionalism will result in the undoing
Of the dominant party In the elections of
1915.
To-morrow's proceedings will be OF a
perfunctory character. The Senate will
emain in session for only a few minutes.
while the House will be engrossed In re-
6ecting Champ Clark as Speaker and
swearing in its members.
The REAL opening OF the Congress will
b held on Tuesday. when President Will
son In conformity with the custom which
he r~eestablished will read his address to
SIo houcVo dccNilhDlCu III JOAbt bOoolOI.
There Is more interest In this annual
message than Is usually exhibited at the
opening Of a new Congress. Within the
past year the question Of national de-
fence a become a live issue. The Presi-
dent Is expected TO discuss this subject
1T some length.
10th Houses Democratic.
Both houses Of the Congress which be-
Efns tomorrow are safely Democratic.
OF the 434 members of the House who
VIII be sworn in tomorrow 22s are
Democrats. There Is one Democratic va
cancy. created by tho death Of Repre-
sentative Samuel A WATERPROOF of
Mississippi.
The Republicans have 1877 members
and the Progressives six. One lnde-
pendent and one Socialist will be enrolled
40 members Of the new House. The
Democrats will have a majority in the
House OF "a. Their plurality over the
Republicans Is 80.
In the Senate there will be Sc Demo-
y and 10 Republican,. giving tho
dominant PARTY a majority OF Is. This
d the largest Democratic majority In
h 6enate since the civil war.
OF the l40 new House members SO are
Republicans. This accounts for the de-
cline In the Democratic majority OF 141
m StO IicT SoIisTcS9 " u HhhyOTtty VI
- In the new body. Among new menu
befs there are 40 Democrats. 8 Progress
sives and 1 Socialist, the last name
Meyer London Of New York. While the
Democrats lost strength In the House.
the last election increased their majority
in the Senate from 10 to IA.
Twenty-Five Of the members who will
be sworn In tomorrow served In previous
houses. Among the notable comebacks
WhNpla farAS yin aDnin unnaar In fha
halls Of Congress are Uncle Joe Cannon.
Nick Longworth of Ohio. Ebenezer Hill
OF Connecticut. William s.. Bennett of
New York, George l.. Foss Of Illinois,
Cyrus Sulloway of New Hampshire. Nc
Dermott of Illinois. who achieved more
or less fame In the Mullhall investiga-
ton. and Adam Littlepage of West Vfr-
gtnia, a modest and unobtrusive men,
her who was defeated two years ago
but now appears again.
P~rogressives Lose Eleven.
The Progressive strength in the House
has dropped from seventeen member 10
six. The Progressive party has disap-
peared from the Senate. Senator Miles
Poindexter of Washington. who de-
scribed himself as a Progressive in the
AZ Congress, has recanted and is now
enrolled AS "a Republican.
Nine new Senators will take seats in
that body tomorrow. They are Under
wood of Alabama, Robert l.. Broussard
Of Louisiana, James d.. Phelan of Call
fornia, Charles Curtis OF Kansas. ]. G.
w. Beckham OF Kentucky. Warren q,
Harding of Ohio. James W. Wadsworth,
Jr.. of New York, Edwin s. Johnson OF
South Dakota and Paul o. Husting OF
Wisconsin.
Senators Curtis. wadsworth and
Harding are Republicans and the Others
are Democrats. Senators Underwood and
Broussard served in the House unit
elected to the Sena Senator Curtis
Is = member OF hat body. succeeding &c
the "a created by the retirement Of
Joseph l.. Brlstow
II present plans are carried out, the
first serious work OF me session will bs
an attempt to reenact the war emergency
revenue act. This law will expire by
limitation on December 81. The Treas,
ury needs the money and Congress will
10 asked to extend the life of the wal
act without delay, Under the rules OF
the House AN extension bill may b.
TANNED through In jig time.
There may be soine trouble over thl.
legislation In the Senate. but Democrat,
leaders are hopeful hat that body viii
quickly concur in the action taken by
the House. II Senate Republicans will
agree to II. the bill extending the life Of
the war act will carry a provision re,
pealing the free sugar provision of the
Underwood-Simmons law and retaining
the present duty of one cent a pound or
that product.
Action on revenue hills designed Il
raise money to give effect to such pro
gramme of preparedness as may be de
vised Will be deferred until the military
bills have been passed. Accordingly tn.
remaining revenue legislation will no