The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-07-27
PREP AIRING FOR
BITTER CONTEST
Anti=Free Hide Element in
Congress Active.
VARIOUS PLANS PROPOSED

Hope to Defeat Conference Report by
Aid of Democratic Votes in a Novel
Manner-Fight on Question Prom
Ises to Be Decidedly Close in Both
Houses, but the Outcome Continues
In Doubt.
Washington, July 27-Tn both SEN
ate and house the anti-free hide ele
ment is making active preparations
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
free hide report the opposition will re-
sort to adopting a resolution of au-
thorization to the conference commit
tee W lflfiC6 ali hluuS vi ltdlHtl anu all
leather goods on the free list. This
plan will not be resorted to because
1t Is preferred to make these articles
free, but because success Is regarded
as more probable IL this policy is fol
lowed than If an attempt should be
made TO instruct the committee to
place a duty on hides.
BY the former course the opposi-
tion 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 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
conferees 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
uOu5cS. III lAS DChhSS lIAtlN uiI GlANS-
one Republicans and thirty-one Demo
Gratis. Senator McEnery of the Demo
cratic column will vote with the Re-
publicans for protection. The other
| thirty Democrats are counted upon as
| favorable to free leather. With these
| thirty votes as a starter 1t would be
| necessary to get seventeen Republi-
L &c Inttht nc tn
| 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 as 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 di-
vision among the raw material repre-
sentatiyes 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
"insurrecto5" and If any of them have
fallen away the fact has not been re-
ported to the leaders. They also ex-
pect many of the original house lin
surrectionists" to vote against a rule
for vote on the conference report
and count upon picking up number
l OF stray votes for other reasons.
Everybody appreciates that the tar.
iff bill Is In a critical state and not
even its most enthusiastic supporters
are as hopeful over the outlook as
they were week ago.
i