Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-18
Leaving Democrats in Complete
Control Of The Senate
And Forcing Them 10 Break
Coalition with Insurgents.
Regulars Happy, Democrats TlCkled
and insurgents Mad.

Washington, Aug. IA shreWd
move by the regular Republicans, as
unexpected as it was effective, today
suddenly threw the Democrats into
complete control Of the Senate in their
own right and forced them absolutely
to abandon their coalition with the
| Progressive Republicans
out of the chaos and the uproar
came a bill 10 revise the cotton sehed-
ule Of the Payne Aldrich tariff law
1t was the bill as passed by the House.
but saddled with amendments to re-
wise the iron and steel. the cotton ma
chinery and chemical schedules of the
tariff law. coupled with a provision FOR
reciprocal free trade in bitaminous
coal across the Canadian border
The bin as amended viii go back
| toathe House and probably Will be sent
to conference. 1t il energies from this
ordeal and goes TO the White House It
unquestionably will meet the fate If
the wool revision bill which was W.
toed today By President Taft.
Democratic votes alone were east n
favor of the bin. The regular Repub-
ieans deliberately absented themselves
from the chamber and thus lett tie
Insurgdnt Republicans IN hopeless
| and helpless minority. The Insurgents,
taken completely by surprise. Were
thrown into rage. Alternately they
denounced what they termed the
treacherv Of the Democrats with whom
they had been in alliance and in
Weighed against the regular Republi-
cans for the part they had played IN
the nav combination which had
brought about q revolution in the Sen
ate as startling and sensational as the
coalition which earlier had robbed the
regular Republicans of their suprem-
acv in the upper House Of Congress.
| In vain the Insurgents invoked all-but-
forgotten rules of the Senate to compel
the Regulars to attend and to cast tkeir
| votes Senatorial courtesy SO long rev
cred and jealousy defended, was tossed
to the winds. The Insurgents charged
that the Democrats had broken faith. all
| though in caucus last night the latter
had determined to carry through an In
| surgent- Democratic program on the cot
| ton bill which included the adoption of
the La Toilette substitute for the House
measure They insisted the Democrats
had entered into an agreement or under
|
! Progressives in the lurch. Neither the
Regular Republicans nor the Democrats
would admit that such am understanding
existed, but Bristow of Kansas boldly de-
clared that he had overheard a conversa-
| ton between johnson of Alabama, a
Democrat. and Penrose of Pennsylvania,
| the Regular Republican leader that left
no doubt in his mind
! of the Regular Republicans still insisted
upon their right to decline to vote and
when serious consequences threatened
they resorted TO motions to be excused
which in several cases were carried by
safe majorities. The Democrats sought
to relieve the new-found allies with a
| blanket motion of excuse from voting, but
this plan failed.
Whatever the agreement, whatever the
| understanding, the results accomplished
We're both definite and decisive. The
| Democrats found themselves in a position
where. for the sake of party consistency,
! they had To disregard completely their
J previous agreement with the Insurgents.
! This arrangement was based upon the be-
! lief that the Democratic House bill first
would be defeated and that then the
! Democrats and Insurgents would com
! bine TO pass La Toilette compromise
measure. just as was done with the wool
schedule When the voting began. how
/ ever, there came a sudden realization
that the Democratic bin would pass with
out the aid Of the Insurgents, enough
Regular Republicans having walked out
of the chamber TO give the Democrats a
clear majority and still maintain the
necessary quorum
The break in the Senate coalition which
had made tariff legislation possible was
taken TO mean tonight the early approach
of adjournment The Democrats. it was
said. already had set about to placate the
Insurgents, but this was regarded as i'm
possible after the events of the day,
Without an effective working arrange
ment between these two elements of the
Senate all further attempts at legislation
would be useless. Penrose predicted to-
night that the session would terminate
with the Weekend.
Amazement of the Insurgents at the
unexpected development today chang
, ed to a lighting spirit that lasted I'M
til the last roll call was taken. They
insisted that the Vice President send
out of the chamber for Republicans
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