Evening star., 1916-11-11
Country Tires of Congress.

AS to legislation generally. President
Wilson has indicated in speeches that
the democratic administration has
given the country about all the i'm
portant legislation it needs and he is
likely to construe his reelection as
authority from the people to stand
pat and not worry about putting so
many new laws on the books. Many
democrats contend that the country
has been getting tired of too much
Congress and that 1t will welcome a
let-up in the work of that body.
The legislative program of the ad-
ministration was virtually completed
at the last session. A number of i'm
portant bills were left hanging in one
or the other hous9s of Congress. tut
they were not administration bills T e
bill for vocational education pass d the
Senate but did not get tnroush the
Hoase. --r TAsv simniSration bill went
through the Hopse. but u as hung up
in the Senate. The corrupt practic s
act Of Senator Owen of Okla oIna
threatened to prevent the adjournment
OF Congress. but he was prevailed upon
to ease up in his efforts.
President Wilson will begin work in
the next week upon his annual recon-
mendations to Congress. Nobody is
generally believed that his annual ad-
dress will be the least important of
any he has made to Congress during
his first term in the White House. 1t
is presumed that the President will
urge Congress to complete his pro-
posed legislation regarding strikes in
this country, especially that portion
designed to force a complete investi-
cation before a strike is permitted to
occur He declared this to be his pur-
pose in a number of speeches made
during the campaign, when his settle
ment of the railroad strike was being
SO roundly criticised.
Prohibitionists to Be Active.
The success of the prohibitionists in
adding four more states to the dry
column means incessant effort by pro-
hibitionists from now on to force a
change in the Constitution forbidding
the manufacture and sale of liquors in
this country. according to all predic-
tfons today Word came to Washing
ton today that senators and representa-
tives from prohibition states are al
ready preparing their fight from the
start of the coming short session.
They may not hope to achieve results
in the three months of that session,
but they will pave the way for the SUI
preme efforts they will make at the
next long SESSION Ol SOLS ne
prohibitionists are today contending
that with the addition of the four new
states to the dry column 60 per cent of
the area of the United States is dry
and that more of 1t is tending that
way. Twenty-four of the forty-eight
states of the Union are now in the dry
ranks.
That the prohibition legislators will
attempt to force prohibition upon the
District of Columbia has been settled
for some time. Their strength In the
Senate will have grown considerably
even at the short session. Nobody looks
for let-up in the fight to make the
capital of the nation dry" territory.
There is an earnest hope on the part
of the best citizens of the District that
President Wilson will now begin to
give greater thought and heartier SYM
pathy to the affairs of the people of
the capital. There has been much re-
cent talk of having a delegation of
leading citizens from the District visit
President Wilson in the near future
and talk frankly to him about the Dis
trict. asking his aid for the capital
against those who are more interested
ia making capital for themselves in
their respective political areas than in
intelligently and sympathetically legis-
A.ttng for or governing the District.