Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-10-28
Especial Correspondence.l

I Washington, Oct. 2S-How much in.
! fiuence is President Wilson going te
have with congress in the coming ses.
sion?
/, is the presidents measure of domino
ton over the members of house ant
senate in this congress going to be a.
great as in the last congress?
These are interrogatories common
enough in Washington at present. AS
members of congress arrive for the SEES
sion, and they are beginning to come
with. greater frequency, such questions
become more and more common.
1t is generally realized, both by DEM
ocrats and republicans, that the legis-
lative outcome depends in large degree
on how far the president is able tc
dictate to congress; on how readily
/ congress- when told to do anything by
the White House, will proceed to do it
Much Depends on Outcome.
Not only is the legislative outcome
involved, but the outcome of the cam
paign next year may depend on the sue
cess or failure of the president in get
ting consress TO do his bidding. 1t is
the view here that if there is strong
democratic insurgency in congress and
the administration organization falls
down in the enactment of the White
House legislative program. the prestige
of the president will suffer and he will
be weakened in 1916.
Senator Smoot recently predicted in
an interview that the administration
shipping bill would be beaten in the
house and beaten by democratic votes.
He looks for much democratic insur-
gency-that is, refusal to line up for
administration measures.
On the other hand, democratic lead
ers and soothsayers. who are in close
touch with the administration, declare
the situation is improving for the pres
ident and that the outlook is favorable
for the great bulk of his proposed leg
islation 70 be enacted. This. they say.
Is true regardless of any attempts by
William ]. Bryan to oppose the pro-
gram to the limit and to expose the
democratic party to the menace Of a
fatal split.
Recent Conversions.
Those who are convinced the presi-
dent once more will dominate congress
and whip. 1t into line cite two recent
in support of their theory. The con
versions were in the cases OF Sem
ator Kern and Congressman Hay, the
one senate democratic leader. the other
chairman of the house military COM
mittee.
Senator Kern. who has always been
known as Bryan man, after giving
out interviews in Indiana of kind
har fH1 Cd m oh re- oA
,ninistration program, came on to
Washington, was called in BY the pres
ident and then declared ne would
stand by the president Chairman Hay
was looked on in many quarters as
the probable fatal stumbling block to
the administration army bill Mr..
Hay was called in to the White House
not once but twice and then declared
himself hearty supporter of the pro-
gram.
Under the circumstances. there is
undeniably announcement for the adj
miniStration leaders. AS a Bryan man,
Mr. Kern might be expected to sup
port the Bryan program instead of the
administration program. But Mr. Kern
wants a reelection and he does not
dare ALLEVIATE the Wilson democrats in
Indiana. AS for Mr.. Hay, he evident
ly believes the administration is CO.
ing to win in the house and he pre-
fers to be on the winning side.
What is true of the national de-
tense program Is probably going to
prove true of q good deal of the rest
of the administration legislative pro-
gram. Unless democrats of the house
beat the merchant marine bill. it is
not likely to be beaten and it is not
going to be easy to promote enough
democratic insurgency to head off this
measure