Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-22
SENATE SESSION
URGED BY Jones
Ware and Smith Election
Cases Should Be Disposed
Of, He Says.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Senator Jones of Washington. chief
Republican whip of the Senate. thinks
President Coolidge ought to call the
upper house of Congress in special
session for exclusive consideration of
the Ware and Smith cases. Senator
Jones, who has just left the Capital
by automobile for a 4 ,000mile drive
to Seattle. believes that the Senate
calendar might we'll be cleared of the
Pennsylvania and Illinois "slush
fund" contests and the way thus
paved for the immense legislative pro-
gram the Seventeen Congress has be-
fore it.
Under section of Article II of the
Constitution the President has author
ity to convene both houses, or either
of them, on extraordinary occasions"
1t is Senator Jones view that the
state Of the Union" next Winter
will be so monlentous in character.
from the standpoint of matters re-
quiring congressional action, that Mr.
Coolidge should not hesitate to eXer-
else his prerogative. Otherwise, the
Senate whip fears, the Ware and
Smith controversies may consume so
much time that a serious legislative
jam would ensue.
Faces Urgent Program.
cat no time since the war that / can
remember" said Senator Jones to this
writer, has Congress faced so i'm.
portant and urgent a program. If
there were nothing but the Mississip.
pi food situation, that of itself would
almost be enough to tax the time and
energy of both houses for weeks on
end. But there's the equally urgent
issue of revenue legislation, with the
certain prospect of many projects for
disposal of the Treasury surplus, and
the renewed demand for agricultural
relief is likely to claim quite as much
attention.
II have thought that if the Senate
could be summoned and concentrate
on the Pennsylvania and Illinois cleo
ton cases. we might be able to dis
pose of them some time before De-
Cember. so as to devote ourselves
thenceforward to legislation. If some
thing of this sort is not done, I fore
see an unfortunate slowing up of vital
national business in consequence of
unreasonable delay"
Reed Not Receptive.
Senator James A. Reed, Democrat,
of Missouri, chairman of the Senate
slushfund investigating committee,
says there's no virtue in Senator
Jones proposal from the standpoint
of those who would keep both Ware
and Smith out of the Senate.
"It would be wholly unprecedented
thing for the President" Senator Reed
states. ito call the Senate into special
session for such purpose. But. Of
course, the unprecedented can always
be expected Of Calvin Coolidge. Prob
ably the scheme, of which I've not
heard before, aims at bringing the
Ware and Smith cases to a decision in
advance of the regular session. If
these men are barred from the Senate,
Republican governors in Pennsylva-
MIA and Illinois can forthwith make
fresh appointments and thus permit
the Republicans to organize the Sen.
ate"
Former Secretary of Labor William
B. Wilson. of Pennsylvania, who is
contesting Senator elect Wares right
to seat. also deprecates the idea of
a special siush fund session.
These matters cannot be disposed
of" he asserts. ''in any haphazard
fashion. They will demand, and
legitimately demand, protracted con-
sideration.
Separate Sessions.
"What suspect is going to happen
Is that Messrs. Ware and Smith will
both be barred at the threshold of the
Senate, as Mr.. Smith already has
been barred, and that their cases
VIII thereupon be referred in the
regular order of business to the COM
mittee on privileges and elections.
That is what occurred in connection
with the filing of my own contest
against Mr.. Ware. There is the other
aspect to special session sugges-
ton, which may not have struck
those who evolved it. That is, that
the President can lead the Senate to
a special session trough, but it isn't
in his power to make. it drink when
it gets there. In other words, the
Executive is unable to instruct either
branch of Congress what it shall do,
once It has been convened. Thus,
the Senate might or might not pro-
coed with the Ware and Smith cases."
Presidents have called the Senate
in separate special session II times
since 1885. Presidents Arthur, Cleve-
land, Harrison, Mckinley, Roosevelt,
Taft, Wilson and Coolidge all issued
proclamations to that end. In each
case, with a single exception, the
special session ensued Immediately
after the adjournment of the proceed
ing regular session and was convened
for the purpose of transacting I'M
finished business. This consisted of
nominations to Federal office and
combinations.
Reorganization" was the reason for
several of the special sessions. The
exception to routine business was the
session called by President Roosevelt
on March S, 1908. for ratification of
the treaties with Colombia and Cuba.
None Of these special sessions lasted
more than three or four weeks, and
most of them consumed only 10 days
or less.
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