Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1915-02-11
EXTRA SESSION
OF CONGRESS?
Prospects Cor Shipping Bill Some
what Gloomy in Senate.


WASHINGTON, ID. G. Feb. 9.--An-
nouncement is made that President
Wilson will confer with the Demo-.
cratic leaders in the senate next week
regarding the calling Of an extra ses-
sion early in the spring. Until this
announcement was made, many Of the
Presidents friends, particularly in
the senate, had predicted that unless
the Shipping bin became law before
the close Of the session, the next Com
gress would be convened without de-
lay in extra session to pass the bill.
Now, however, that even the most
sanguine Democrats in the senate are
admitting that the prospects Of the
Shipping bill are moro than gloomy
and that the threat Of an extra ses-
sion persistently made heretofore has
completely failed to coerce the senate
into abandoning its opposition to the
bill, the admission is made that Pres
ident Wilson has not yet decided ir-
revocably on an extra session.
The Democratic leaders in the SEN
ate, If one can say after the present
weeks exhibition Of mismanagement
in the senate that there remain any
leaders, feel that the calling Of an ex-
ira session will depend entirely upon
the degree of determination which
President Wilson feels in regard to
his order to pass the Shipping bill.
1t has been predicted in these dis
patches from the beginning Of the
present session that the shipping bill
had only the slightest chance in the
world for passage. The events Of the
present week have fully indicated
that prediction. The leaders them
selves are now not at all sanguine.
No matter what parliamentary sue
cess may attend the present Demo-
cratic plans for bringing in new bill
such as Senator Cores, 1t is easily
possible for the opposition to filibus-
ter the bill to death. There remains
only % working days Of the session,
exclusive Of Sunday. The senate
showed last Saturday that even the
leaders are opposed to Sunday ses-
sions. The legislative slate has been
wiped clean so that when the bill is
taken up again next week, the Repub-
lican senator's can start their filibus~
ter afresh and every senator who has
already spoken has the right to speak
again.
In addition to the open hostility Of
the Republicans there is now the Bit
ter resentment Of Senator Clarke, Of
Arkansas, and his six Democratic as
sociates against the Democratic lead
ers. Nor is the opposition on the
Democratic side confined to the seven
senators who have been read out Of
the Democratic party as traitors"
and "conspirators." There are many
other Democratic senators who earn
estly hope that the bill will never
progress TO the point Of final voting.
Senator Fletcher and the other
White House senators who are lead
ing the fight for the bill, recognize
that the situation is desperate, and
they will tell the President 50. Il Mr..
Wilson decides to accept the newt
able by recognizing that the Shipping
Bill is practically dead, then there
will be no fear whatever Of an extra
session. 1t is true that the senate
has yet to pass fourteen appropria-
ton bills, all of them important bills.
But even these fourteen bills can cas-
lily be passed in the twenty-five days
remaining of the session, for none of
the appropriation bills will contain
any provisions which will stir up de-
bate, provided it is understood that
the Shipping bill has been abandoned.