St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-12-08
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
The President The Leader of The
Democrat Are
Enthusiastic.

/ The first session OF the 64In Con
gress was called to order in Washing
ton last Monday and organization has
been completed. An interesting ac-
count of the conditions as the lawmak-
ers start upon their work is given by
THE special representative of the
Springfield Republican. A part of his
letter follows
| The party has a great political
leader in it's president. In the Senate
! and the House it is almost leaderless
The paucity of captains commanding
confidence among the rank and file of
legislators is noticeable. The party is
not as strong in that regard as it was
over two years ago when the last Con-
gress assembled. That Congress was
expected to dispose of great questions
like tariff, finance and the regulation
of business, whereupon the last half
of the Wilson administration could
proceed placidly to execute the new
laws
Now it seems that the last half may
be more tempestuous than the first.
The need of adhesion and driving pow
er in the majority is very great. The
start has been in more or less faction
al contention. Consequently chief in
terest as to Senate and House right
now is over the capacity of the domi-
nant party to control itself. If eau
Gus ruction in the Senate over closure
and the choice of a president pro tenn
PORE and rebellion of the titular lead
ers in the House against the presi-
dents preparedness plans and recon-
mendations for raising revenue, are
permitted to demoralize the respective
organizations, Generalization can be
expected, of course, for the Congress
and for the party.
Fight for Closure in Senate
The factionaI troubles to date are
not overserious. There is nothing that
might not be we'll forgotten, if not al
together forgiven, in quite fortnight.
The fight for closure in the Senate has
been attended with much confusion on
the democratic side, simply because,
Notwithstanding abuses of unlimited
debate, practically all the older and
more experienced senators question
the expedience of closure. Such men
as Owen of Oklahoma, who heads the
closure effort, do not command the
'Senate's confidence, and it need be no
surprise if, after some days of debat-
| ing and wrangling, the subject is
abandoned, This session of Congress
can last for a year, if necessary, and
at little extra cost for expenses. Fill
clustering is less likely to defeat ad-
ministration measures, as it defeated
the ship purchase bill last winter.
There was time limit then upon Con.
gross.
There is much ill-feeling against
Senator Clarke of Arkansas, who was
president pro tempOre in the last Con-
gress, and who has just been re-elect-
ed. He is a man of integrity, but of
strong reactionary tendencies. His
course in joining the democratic re-
calcitrants and thus defeating the
Ship purchase bill aroused very bitter
resentment. However, the contention
over honoring him for another term as
presiding officer is not threatening the
working efficiency of the majority in
the Senate. Should the situation thus
become serious President Wilson would
undoubtedly intervene.
Indeed that seems to be the status,
both as to Senate democrats and
House democrats. The president is
the one man upon whom the Congress
is depending. There is no reason yet
to doubt that he can save any desper-
ate situation which arises. Whatever
quarreling there has been to date is
largely preliminary and relatively I'M
important. Thus far there has been
little worrying at the White House.
Kitchin inefficient.
1t would help materially if some eff
ficient leader were to arise in the
House. Representative Kitchin seems
about to prove himself quite as useless
as was anticipated. He is constitu-
tionally an obstructionist and utterly
out of his element at the head of the
ways and means committee. Just
now Speaker Clark comes nearer be-
ing leader of the House than at any
time in the four years he has held his
present Office. 1t is quite possible he
will grasp the scepter firmly and prove
himself a successful lieutenant to
President Wilson. Be that as it may
matters are shaping for Representative
Fitzgerald to exercise a mastery of
proceedings on the floor beyond any
other. He will be chairman of appro-
priations, which in reality is the most
important House committee. Mr..
Fitzgerald has an intimate knowledge
of the details and processes of the
government and is one of the very best
parliam All in all he is well
equipped to come into an influential
leadership. Higher favor with the ad
ministration, which he can probably
NAVE anu d Willingness TO Improve the
new opportunities. should establish
him quite firmly.
The republican arrivals are in high
spirits. They seem to believe that the
presidential campaign next year is re.
splendent with victory prospects. Their
talk, however. glitters with generali-
ties. There is much unanimity of
nope, which is backed by meager CO.
'hestveness. The prevailing republi-
can confidence has, however, depress-
ed the democrats at the threshold of
the session. The stories about con-
di1ons, brought in state by state, all
Indicate republican vigor. There is
much reference to the hostility of the
pro-Germans to the Roman Catholic
criticism over recognition of Carranza
in Mexico and the uncertain allegiance
of great groups Of voters.
Probably nobody has much infor-
nation at all decisive as to how men
will be thinking six months from now
The view should be clearer than about
many of the presidents policies. His
triumph in the German negotiations