The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-07-27
PREP AIRING FOR
BITTER CONTEST
Anti-Free Hide Element in
Congress Active.
VARIOUS PLANS PROPOSED

Hope to Defeat Conference Report b,
Aid Of Democratic Votes in a Move
Manner-FIght on Question Prom
ises to Be Decidedly Close In Both
Houses, but the Outcome Continues
In Doubt.
Washington, July 27.-1n both sen
ate and house tho anti-free hide ele
ment Is making active preparations
/ Tor most vigorous resistance to any
report from the tariff conference com.
mitteee looking to taking the duty
off hides. Northwestern senators and
members of the house were at the
Capitol early and from the moment of
their arrival all of them were busily
engaged In conferences among them
selves.
In case the conferees brought In a
rree hide report the opposition will re-
sort to adopting a resolution of au-
thor1zation to the conference commit
tee to place all kinds of leather and all
leather goods on the free list. This
plan will not be resorted to because
1t Is preferred to make these articles
Tree, but because success is regarded
as more probable If this policy is fol-
lowed than if an attempt should be
made to instruct the committee to
place duty on hides.
BY the former course the opposi-
ton count on obtaining all but one of
the Democratic votes in the senate
and all but four of the Democratic
votes In the house. While the Demo-
Gratis would not directly help the hide
men by voting to put a higher duty
on hides the Democrats would be will
Ing to force all the duty off shoes.
The hide men think that rather
than accept free leather and free
shoes the manufacturers and those
coEferees who represent the manu-
facturers' views would be willing to
concede duty on hides.
Close Fight in Both Houses.
The fighting will be close in both
houses. In the senate there are sixty
one Republicans and thirty-one Demo-
Gratis. Senator McEnery of the Demo-
cratic column will vote with the Re-
publlcans for protection. The other
thirty Democrats are counted upon as
favorable to free leather. With these
thirty votes as starter it would be
necessary to get seventeen Republi-
can votes. There is some doubt as to
whether this result could be accom-
plished. There are about ten senators
who will go to any necessary extent
to prevent the taking Of the duty off
hides. The ten hope to pick up six or
seven votes from among the so-called
progressive senators, who voted
against the bill rs it passed the SEN
ate. They have the sympathy of SEN
ators representing states producing |
other raw material than hides and !
they hope for some votes from them. |
In the house there has been no d. |
vision among the raw material repre-
sentatives so far and the dutiable hide |
men have been left to make their
fight alone. There were almost fifty
OF the original anti-free raw material |
'insurrectos' and if any of them have |
fallen away the fact has not been re-
ported to the leaders. They also ex-
poet many of the original house "in-
to vote against rule
tor vote on the conference report
and count upon picking up a number
1T straw VOtas for other roocopS
Everybody appreciates that the tar
II bill is in a critical state and not
sven It's most enthusiastic supporters
are as hopeful over the outlook as
hey were q week ago,