New-York tribune., 1910-02-04
ELKINS MAY ROAM
HE GOT TOO LITTLE.
Therefore He Hints at BecOm-
ing an Insurgent.
[From The Tribune Bnreau.1

[From The Tribune Bureau1
Washington, Feb. S-The Repuolcan IN
sursents of the Senate gained recruit TO-
day when Senator Elkins, wheeihorse III
the camp of the regulars announced that
hereafter he would feel free 10 "ahuer
on the reservation" whenever ne Sd" III
to do So He explained that "fen the
tariH Dill was before the Senate last sum
mer he had to give his consistent support
10 senator Aldrich and the FINANCE Soln-
mittee, and in return for this support he
got nothing except a few drlpplhgs LOT
the State of West Virginia. In return for
these drippings he had to vote for every
thing in the bill, he said He explained
that there would not be another tarin
bill for some years he intended taking an
independent course in the Senate. Il nave
more water to swim in now, he said.
Mr.. Elkins's announcement amused both
the regulars and the insurgents, alInoush
later in the session Senators Dolliver La
toilette and Bristow had confldent1al talks
with the West Virginia Senator, and as
sured him that they would be glad TO wei
come him to their ranks. They were not
sure, however, that Mr.. Eikins would de-
sert the other side, for he threatened TO
do so in the tariff fight when he found
that the Finance Committee was not Will
ing 10 give MS state the DiilSleS idleS cil
coal, lumber, glass, etc.
The threatened insurgency of Mr. Elktns
developed when the Finance Committee
submitted a favorable report on the reso-
luton offered yesterday by Senator Lodge
providing for the appointment of a COM
nittee OF five Senators to investigate the
increased cost of living. For several weeks
Mr. Elkins has been trying to get the'Cor-
mittee on Contingent Expenses to report
his resolution for an inquiry into the cost
of living. Replying to a question by Sen
ator Stone, who. in a jocular way, asked
what had become OF the Elkins resolu-
ton, the West Virginia Senator said it was
sleeping peacefully in committee. He init
mated that he had been sighted, and COM
mented the delay which his resolution
had encountered and the speed with which
the Lodge resolution had rushed through
the Finance Committee. He said things
seemed to move fast as soon as Senator
Aldrich returned.
Mr.. Elkins criticised the Lodge resolu-
ton. saying it avoided any mention of the
tariff as a factor in high prices. He did
not charge, he said, that the tariff was
responsible for the increased cost of living,
but he was not afraid to meet the ques-
ton and have the committee make in
qury as to whether the Dingley and Payne
laws were contributing factors in higher
prices.
Senators A1drich and Lodge said the
resolution as amended covered this point
and was really broader than the Elkins
resolution Mr. Aldrch added that he
wanted the inquiry made as broad and as
comprehensive as possible, and Mr.. Lodge
said there was no disposition to dodge the
tariff question.
Referring TO the leadership of Mr
Aldrich, Mr.. Elkins said he had great
admiration for the ability and skill of the
Rhode Island Senator. His leadership
is terrific at times when he crushes me
out, but 1 always submit gracefully" he
said amid laughter. Mr.. Elkins said that
when things We're not going right and he
wanted to know what was the matter he
always went to Mr.. Aldrich, and was ad-
vised to keep right where he was if he
knew what was good for him. This was
especially true when the tariff bill was
before the Senate, he said, but now things
were different, and he wanted the Senate
to know that hereafter he would not fol-
low any leadership.
The discussion was thoroughly enjoyed
by the Democrats, and at times several of
them asked questions or offered suggest
ions to prod Mr.. Elkins to say that he
would Join the insurgents in all their con-
tests with the regulars. The West Vfr-
einian would not make this admission, and
parried some of the queries from the
minority side. Finally the regular order
was called for, and the discussion came TO
an end.
Broadening the scope of the proposed IN
ouiry into the higher cost of living so as
to include the cost of articles in common
use both here and abroad, the Finance
Committee to-day took favorable action on
the Lodge resolution, and il was reported
to the. Senate by Mr.. Lodge. AS amended
the resolution provides for a select invesu-
eating committee of seven. 1t was re-
ferred to the Committee on Contingent Ex-
penses and when that committee reports
it will be taken up by the Senate and prob
ably adopted