Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-03
1t Is Said He Will Recedc From
His Position Against Free
AicohO.
CHANCE FOR LEGISLATION
Committee Now Of the Opinion That
Congress May Be AbIe to Do Some
thing at This Scssion--Associatcs
Point Out Peril to Party If Bill Is
Hold Up.

Washington. May 3.Slnce Sunday
half dozen selected members of the
republican congressional committee
have had heart to heart conferences
with Chairman Aldrch of the senate
committee on finance which has charge
OF the free alcohol bin, and as the re-
suit of those conferences 1t is said, that
the outlook for legislation has been i'm
proved.
arguments presented. but he did mod
tfy his original position quite material
ly according to statements made by
gentlemen who were In conference.
While the precise things which he said
cannot be ascertaincd. ii Is the opinion
of the congressional committee that
there will be free alcohol legislation at
this session of congress.
Tho matter was first laid before Rep
resentative Sherman of New York.
chairman of the congressional commits
tee, by several of his associates, who
submitted abundance OF testimony to
show the interest of the country I'm the
free alcohol question. Mr. Sherman
later on called the officers and execu-
tive committee together and then 1t
was decided that the matter was OF
sufficient Importance to justify laying
1t before Mr.. Aldrich as party issue
of the first Importance.
Peril for tho Party.
Then came the conference with AL
drich. Mr.. Aldrich was Informed by
his visitors that the free alcohol ques ;
ton while playing a minor role on the
surface, was in fact the most import
ant question now before congress- It
was declared that the bill outranked
the tariff and railroad rates in It's hold
upon the individual citizen. and to
adjourn congress without action would
be to imperi republican asceniancy in
the government and give the demo.
Gratis an issue such as they have not
had for years.
1t was pointed out that Mr. Bailey,
and the other democratic members of
the senate finance committee, were
preparing to force the question before
the committee and that 1t would not do,
MS matter of party expediency to
have the democrats solldly demanding
something which the republicans could
not find a satisfactory excuse for with
holding.
Favor for Manufactures.
To what extent Mr.. Aldrich has
yielded will become apparent as the
case proceeds before the finance COM
mittee. He has already said that he
would favor free alcohol for manufac-
turers but did not see by what right
the farmers We're demanding 1t for
light. fuel and power purposes. The
concession as to manufactures is
probably as far as the Aldrich people
will be willing to go, but the finance
committee as a whole, may be strong
enough to report substantially the
house bill. This would easily be ac-
complished were the democrats of the
committee to Join forces with the free
alcohol republicans.
Word that there had been a confer
ence with Aldrich which had fairly well
satisfied the republican congressional
committee leaders spread over the cap
itol today, and had the effect of
Frightening the prospect to some ex-
tent At the same time nothing is be-
ing taken for granted. The free alco-
hol people realize that they have a
fight ahead of them, and they are pre-
pairing for It, They may win, and then
they may lose. Just at present they
do not know which it will be.