The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-28
SENATE EXPECTS
TAME INSURGENCY
Coming Fight on Bills Will Be
Lively, But Not Revolu-
tlonary.
NO "A HOUR SESSIONS
Statesmen See No Occasion for
Battle Against king
Aldrioh..
NO "a HOUR SESSIONS

WASHINGTON, March 2S.-Insur-
geney IN the Senate during the days,
near at hand. when the big bills come
up for action will be lively enough,
but will scarcely approach the revolu-
ton stage Unlike the members of
the House, the senators will avoid the
joys OF twenty-four hour sessions and
the excitement of high pressure
speeches calculated to scorch the hide
and hair from fellow statesmen.
The progressives In the Senate have
the same inspiration as those in the
House. but conditions in the Senate
are not such az call for the mode of
warfare waged by the representatives.
There is no issue regarding the rules.
1t has been said by many that the
influence OF Senator Aldrich in the
Senate Is as strong as that of Speaker
Cannon has been in the House. but it
is different. II Is less obvious in the
fact that the Senate does not elect
Aldrieh to anything but committees,
and the power to appoint committees
is not invested In him by the rules.
His power comes Indirectly and is due.
In large part. to his strong personality,
his skill as tactician, and the pecu
liar influences at his command. In
the House the Capitalization of power
was more obvious
While the Democratic representatives
stand seiidiy in line with the Republic
can insurgents To bring about revolu-
ton i'll the House, nothing OF the sort
could be accomplished. even If there
WAS occasion for such combination.
in the Senate. Those who are familiar
with the Senate condition say that in
any close vote on Aldrich, or an Aid
rich proposition. it would be possible
for him To muster some Democratic
support,
No organization has been perfected
( by the Senate progressives and no
/ effort has been made to agree upon a
| program. AS the progressives range
/ from radical To near-r regulars, ii would
he difficult. If not impossible, to get
an agreement for united action on a
series of questions.
/ Along Reaotionary Lines.
What the progressives will do will
! be 10 preserve their freedom of action
and show up the bad spots in the big
bills as they come along. Their fight
/ will be To prevent legislation along re-
4 dictionary lines.
| The first demonstration of the pro-
Rressires was made on the postal
savings bank bill and 1t WAS a sue
/ cess. The bin had made it possible
&
of S790, 900, zoe of per cent. govern
ment bonds now in the hands of the
bankers. A fight WAC made on this
provision, it being charged that the
object In view was to relieve the banks
of these low interest bonds and en-
able them to buy forthcoming Panama
3 per cent. bonds, AS n result of the
protest the bin was amended so that
the money could be invested in no
& ina Ia
/ per cent. interest. A number of the
regulars voted with the progressives
/ on the issue.
There will be a fight on the admins
tration railroad bill which Is called up
and laid aside in the Senate every
day General speeches are now In
order and after the supply has been
exhausted the bill will be considered
/ by sections. Then II Is. that amend
ments VIII be presented and then 1t
( is that the debate VIII be hot and
heavy Senator Cummins fRepubli-
can, OF Iowa), progressive, in keen
! analysis of the bill. declared that IL
was full of bad spots and his col
/ leagues think he made good. At any
rate Senator Aldrich arose a few days
/ later To say that a number Of amend
ments to the bill would be offered
! by It's friends, but he wanted II dis
! tinctlvely understood that the action
was not Influenced by Mr.. Cummins'
speech The amendments had been
decided upon long before by the ad-
/ mtnistration. a few days later Mr..
4 Elkins Republican, of West Nirginta)
/ gave warning that how much ever the
! Forthcoming amendments might seem
| to be In line with some of Mr.. Cum
MINIS suggestions, they were children
of the minds OF those who drafted the
bill. There Is a great deal of curiosity
| in the Senate as to the character OF
the forthcoming amendments and also
considerable impatience over the fact
/ that they have not yet been presented.
/ The fear Is entertained by the pro-
| gressives that important changes In
| the bill will be held back until the
last stage OF the proceedings when
there will be little time TO give them
consideration. The big night Will be
! ovoer the section of the hill that
| proposes the creation of court of
cmmerce. to have special jurisdiction
over cases under the interstate COM
merce law.
To Discuss Tariff.
Then there is to be spell OF tarif
! discussion that will revive the con-
tentions of last summer, when the new
tariff rates were adopted. President