Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-02
The First Regular Session.

The Seventy-first Congress, no stran-
ger to Washington, takes up its legisla-
tive duties again today. The special
session, which opened last April, nearly
merged into the regular session now
opening.
Left over from the special session is
the task of completing the tariff bill
In addition to this job, Congress will
have on its hands a multitude of sub
jects. The annual supply bills must
be put through, with care to keep the
appropriations within the budget eSti-
mates. The administration has already
declared its purpose to recommend a
cut in the income taxes of individuals
and corporations. 1t is a tentative
slash, however, applicable only to the
taxes to be paid in the calendar year
of 1880.
The smoothneSs of the course of leg
islation in the session now opening will
depend in large part on the ability of
the Republicans in the Senate to work
together. The House Republicans have
already demonstrated their strength.
But in the Senate chamber a very
different situation has arisen. It is
not an overnight growth, for it has
been in the process of development for
a decade or more. The contest over
the farm relief bill and the tariff in
the special session merely served to
accentuate the division in the Republic
an ranks and to Solidify the coalition"
formed by the Democrats and some of
the Progressive Republicans from the
West. This tendency on the part of
the Progressive Republicans to leave
the reservation and work with the
Democrats is the most serious problem
with which the administration has to
deal at present.
1t is obvious that, no matter how
well the Republican organization func-
tons in the House, little constructive
work can be accomplished as long as
the majority party in the Senate re-
mains divided. Furthermore, there is
always the danger, to the Republicans,
that alliance of Progressive Republicans
and Democrats in the halls of Con-
greSs may in the end divide and weaken
Republican control in the States which
send these insurgents to the Senate
ard House. For years there has been
the threat Of a coalition Of the West
and the South in support of Demo-
cratic party principles. Such a coali-
ton has materialized only once in re-
cent years, when Woodrow Wilson in
1915 defeated Charles Evans Hughes
for President. Today the Chief Ex-
ecutive halls from the Pacific Coast
Tor the first time in history. 1t does
not seem possible that with the West
in key positions of the Government the
Republicans will foolishly permit a
split in the party.
A congressional election is In the
ofing. The record made by the pres
ent session of Congress. both en- the
tariff and on other matters, may have
q very significant bearing on these
elections. The party in control of the
Federal Government often in the past
has found itself hamstrung during the
second half of a presidential admin
1stration through the election of an
opposition house of Congress. As a
rule such situation halts absolutely
all constructive work for the country
through legislation. It has happened
during both Democratic and Republi-
can administrations. Under such cir
cumstances, the country is compelled
to mark time until the next presidential
election is held and a new Congress
comes into existence along with a new
President.
The Republicans of the East and the
Republicans of the West will. both make
mistake if they go on the belief that
the Republican party is bounded on the
west or the East by the Allegheny
Mountains. There must be a spirit of
give and take. There must be leader
ship which will smooth over the rough
spots which have recently been in
evidence.
The country has recently faced a
crash OF the stock market. Despite
this crash, there has been remarkably
little dislocation of business. Presiden,
Hoover has acted wisely and promptly
to mobilize all the resources of the
country to keep business as usual" II
Is up to the present Congress to helu
in this situation. Distress in this coun-
try, if 1t came, would fall on Democrat
and Republican alike, which is some.
thing that the politicians will do we'll tc
keep in mind The tariff bill and tn.
tax reduction resolution should be actec
on with as little delay as possible. ANY
other course by the Senate is likely tc
make that body exceedingly unpopular
with a great majority of the people,
Nothing can deprive William S. Ware
OF the distinction of being one o.
the country's most consnicuouS naor