New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-04
Congress with Us Again

Congress will reassemble to-day, and in
= sobered and chastened mood. Champ
Clark's third term as Speaker of the House
Of Representatives is drawing TO a close.
There is little chance, apparently, Of his
election for a fourth term. After six
years Of power the Democratic party has
lost control Of the popular branch Of Con-
gress. There is no certainty that it can
organize the next House, even if it enlists
the aid Of a majority Of the little group Of
members elected on Independent and minor
party tickets.
President Wilson's reelection was phe-
nomenal personal victory. But it did not
represent g party triumph; and nobody
realizes that fact more keenly than the
average Democratic member of Congress.
On the popular vote for President Mr..
Wilson had a plurality Of more than
100000 But the vote for Representatives
in Congress, when il is canvassed, will
show considerable Republican plurality.
On the vote for Senators, and for Govern
ors in states in which Senator'S were not
elected the Republican plurality in the ma
ton was more than twice as large as Mr.
Wilson's plurality.
The Democratic leaders in Congress
know that they have lost their hold on
the country. If Mr.. Hughes had carried
the states in which the Republicans had a
plurality on the vote for Representatives
he would have received POI electoral votes
-25 more than a majority. Mr.. Wilson
would have received 228 votes and two
states with twelve votes-Montana and
Nebraska-would have been divided.
The House meets to-day, therefore, in
anything but an exultant temper. The
Democratic majority has suffered in pres
tige. It's self-confdence is gone. There is
no reason why it should take up its work
with the old zeal and interest. The SEES
sion promises, therefore, to be perfunctory.
There is not time enough to pass legisla-
ton unacceptable 10 any important ele-
ment in either branch. There is hardly
time enough to get through the regular
appropriation bills.
Congress may 90 through the motions of
considering the railroad regulation pro-
gramme which President Wilson submitted
70 it last summer, only a minor part of
that programme having been embodied in
the Adamson law. It may also debate the
proposition TO lay an embargo on food
stuffs. But Mr.. Wilson's railroad regula-
ton measures will be bitterly fought by
the railroad brotherhoods, which get the
advance in wages they demanded when the
Adamson law was passed and which are
now unwilling 10 permit the principle of
governmental regulation Of operating con
dtions on the railroads, from which they
have already benefited, to he applied in any
way which might give a compensating ad-
vantage TO the railroads or to the public.
With the Federation Of Labor and allied
union labor interests fighting legislation
10 protect the country against nationwide
railroad strikes, and the National Grange
and the agricultural interests generally
bitterly opposing an embargo on food
products, a deadlock on these two issues
seems to be about all that this session has
in store.
II Congress were alert, vigilant and in
a frame Of mind TO repair one Of the worst
blunders of the last session, it would re-
peal at once the sections of the Hay army
reorganization act which provided for a
Rehabilitation of the state militia. But
though Mr.. Hay has disappeared from the
Capitol his spirit still lives there. The
county will doubtless have to wait at
least another year before the present mis-
fit military system is discarded and start
is made toward the creation of genuine
army-the sort of army which is indis-
pensable TO any modernized scheme of ma
tional defence.