The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-04

fight for passage of the Susan B. An
thony amendment to the constitution.
have laid all the lines for their cam
paign, and it is possible that their de-
mands may be crowded into the short
time congress has to deal with am i'm
portant budget of legislation. Prohi-
bitionists, no less ardent than the suf-
fragists, in their demand for a federal
amendment, are expected to begin their
fight anew.
The first day of the session never
sees much business done. Reelected
members get congratulated; defeated
ones receive condolences; majority and
minority leaders receive ovations as
they walk down the aisle. Galleries
are crowded with wives and friends of
members who join in the demonstrations
of hand clapping and cheering as their
favorites take their seats: except in
the senate where a dignifed calm pre-
walls. A few formalities mixed with a
few informalities always compose the
first day s business and then the house
as we'll as the senate adjourns until to-
morrow to hear President Wilson deliv-
er his annual address.
In accordance with the custom he set
1T bii' TX tliiiiiiS VI HIS ltIIl, 1GeSlutuI
Wilson viii read his address from the
clerk S desk in the hall of the house
while senators and representatives are
assembled before him on the benches.
Members of the diplomatic corps hear
him from their places in the reserved
galleries and members of the cabinet
have especially reserved seats on the
floor The President S message is about
5000 words long; is purely discussion
of domestic issues, the estate of the
union and gives first prominence to
the railway situation.
Today's opening marks the closing of
man S monopoly of membership in the
house of. representatives. In the next
congress the clerks and the pages and
the speaker will be calling "The Fady
from Montana. .... ....., .ze...--...
Miss Jeanette Rankin. Republican,
first woman elected to congress, is cx-
pcc,ed to be in her seat then. She does
not sit III the present scSsion-aIthough
many uninformed expected to see her
today-hut comes in with the new con
gresS. When she does arrive the house
win he confronted with revising its
own rules to give her seat on the
floor.
In the senate there were three new
members to take the oath Of Office.
James Il. Watson of Indiana, Republic
can, takes the mcNpired term of the
late Senator Shiyclv. Democrat, who
was temporarily succeeded by Thomas
Taggart. Bert NJ. Fcmald, Republican,
of Maine, was elected 70 the vacancy
caused by the death of Senator Bur-
leigh. William F. Kirby, Democrat, of
Arkansas, was elected to fill the uneX-
pircd term of the late Senator Clark.
While the organization fight in the
house does not come until the as
scmbling of the next congress. the SEN
ate probably will see some political gen
cralship i'm the selection of a successor
to Senator Clark as president pro tenn
pore. Senators who have their eyes on
the majority floor leadership, made va
can't bv the defeat of Senator Kern,
are loath To take the Office of pro tenn
pore. Strangely enough the disposition
seems TO be to avoid an Office instead
of seeking it. because senators realize
that the man who becomes president
pro tempore is out of the race for she
floor leadership. There have been some
indications that the situation might he
solved by giving the once OF president
pro tempore to Senator Q German, who
retircs with the end of the congress.
This, it is pointed out would be a com
plmcnt to the retiring senator, and
would leave all the candidates for the
leadership free to enter the contest. 1t
is generally conceded. that while the i'm
portant appropriation bills for the tis-
cal year will occupy most of the time
between now and adjournment, much
general legislation on the administra-
tion program would be urged. Commit
tees in charge of conservation legisla-
ton, the Webb bill to authorize domes'
tic corporations to maintain collective
foreign agencies, the immigration bill
and a corrupt practices measure to limit
national campaign expenditures are
! certain to be active from the beginning.