The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-12


To Call Extra
Session June /
Continued from Page One)
get down to the legislative program
for immensely important reconstruct
ton measures
President Wilson certainly cannot
properly understand the situation. Mr..
Good said. or he would not delay
day In calling the next congress into
extra session. In declining to de- this
at once The president assumes q tre-
mendous responsibility. he says.
Weeks TO Organize.
At least two weeks win be consumed
in organizing the next congress. Mr..
Good says. and that win not leave
enough time to pass the unfinished
supply bills before the available funds
for running the government are ex-
hausted.
He calls attention to the fact that
! in the session Of congress preceding
the ono ended last Tuesday, (second
session. 65th congress). nine Of the
great supply bills failed to pass before
! June soth. az demonstrating that the
task Of the last session was entirely
too big to be accomplished.
/, A careful examination Of the legis-
lative situation on Capitol Hill will
convince any fair minded Judge that
| politics. purely politics on both sides
is entirely RESPONSIBLE for the wrangle
between President Wilson and the re-
! publicans over the date for calling the
extra session.
/ If both the democrats and republic
cans had not had their eyes firmly set
/ for fhe past six months on the politf-
/ cal ca.nraign for 1920. and each had
not reached the conclusion to politica
! ally outmaneuver the other between
now and speech making time there
would never have been any fillibuster
In the senate nor dispute over the date
for calling the extra session.
The president did not want a repeti-
tion Of his last visit to Paris. when
at every turn he was confronted with
a vigorous criticism by senate MEM
bers of his views regarding the peace
settlement and the League of Nations.
He tried. with the aid Of public opiT1-
ion which he encouraged, to throw
the lash on congress and have the
supply bills all PASSED SO that he
could go to Paris wifi, congress ad-
journed. He knew that il the repub-
licans blocked him they could be
charged with interfering with passage
Of important legislation for political
purposes. They did block him and he
issued a public statement making the
charge.
Force Extra Session.
! The republicans Wore determined to
force an extra session so they could
lombard the president continuously
from Washington and could begin at
once to grind out material for the cam
paign of 1920. They also wanted to
frame as many of the supply bills and
other measures as it was possible to
force over to the extra session, when
they would have control Also they
wished to begin a number Of investiga-
lions as soon as possible in an ell
to expose democratic mismanagement
OF the war,
The conflicting political purposes
clashed and the public is suffering.
both sides assert. If the public does
not know IT now. it viii discover soon
that President Wilson and the the re-
publican senators are equally to blame
for Industrial and governmental I'M
rest which NAV arise from the legisla-
tive situation. and that politics on both
sides is at the bottom OF 1t all.
In discussing the legislative situa-
ton facing the sixty-sixth congress.
Chairman elect Good said:
"a huge task confronts the sixty
sixth congress. The legislative pro-
gram for reconstruction embraces
measures of tremendous Importance.
Months will be required to enact leg
lislation necessary to unscramhle the
railroads and provide for their organi-
zation on a solid and substantial basis
Legislation OF q far-reaching character
to determine permanent national
policy for our merchant marine, which
!, with construction plants has cost the
y government more than four billion dol
lars. is absolutely necessary. Legis-
lation dealing with the problems OF
unemployment, the rehabilitation OF
our troops and of our returning SOL
diers, cannot with Justice be longer
delayed. It will take months to enact
this legislation alone. to say NOTHING
of other needed legislation to which
!; the congress must give early atten-
ton. From the viewpoint. therefore
Of enacting legislation. the president
should call congress in extraordinary
session without delay.
Necessity Apparent.
when we consider the condition
that actually confronts the country
regarding appropriation bills, the
necessity for an early extraordinar,
session becomes Imperative. The fail
of the great supply bills. and the an
nounced intention OF the president not
to call congress in extraordinary ses-
sion until June, is cause for appre-
hension. Supply bills that failed to
pass the last congress must be passed