The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1911-08-03
AFFAIRS At WASHINGTON CITY
Current News of the Week and
Events of Importance in
Which South Dakota
Figures
(SpecialtOthe NeWs)

The passage of the Canadian
reciprocity bill by the senate ac-
complishes the purpose for which
President Taft, on the fourth day
of March, ordered a special session
of congress. This special session
convened April 4, and after seven
teen days debate, the House passed
Canadian reel procity by vote of
2G1 to 80. There were thirty MEM
bers recorded as not voting, while
three others answered present. "
The senate had the bill from April
II until July %, on which day it
was disposed of, the vote in that
body being 53 for, and 81 against.
The Canadian reciprocity pact was
distinctly a Taft proposition, and
opposed by influential members of
his own party, and had it not been
for the aid received from demo-
Gratis, and by their votes in the
House and in the Senate, the mea-
sure could not have become a law.
In the case of many state delega-
tiOns there seems to be no way of
analyZing the vote of members of
the two Houses. The political ex-
igencies affecting republican reg
ulars" and "progressives" do not
appear to furnish the usual ex-
planation. Throughout the border
states large number of represen.
tatives of the republican party OPP
posed the measure in the theory
that it was detrimental to the in
terests of the farmers. On the
other hand, democratic members
from the same localities, as a rule,
supported the pact. In some cases
the delegations in the states acted
almost as a unit, but the vote of
the two Houses shows that even
in adjoining states, where cond'-
tions were practically identical,
that members of congress applied
different methods of reasoning.
In the case of South Dakota,
Senators Gamble and Crawford, g,
and Representatives Burke and
Martin voted against reciprocity.
Even more complicated in it's po-
ltical ramnitications, was the ac-
tion taken by the senate Thursday
afternoon in reference to wool re-
vision. For many days there have
been rumors of various kinds that
the democrats and republican pro-
gressives would unite in passing a
compromise bill. However, as the
substitute, suggested by Senator
LaFolIette, did not meet with ap-
proval, the feeling became general
that these two political elements
would not be able to get together.
The final outcome was a compro-
mise measure, which seemed to
meet the differences of opinion ex-
isting between the Underwood bill
and the LaEollette substitute. This
was offered by the senator from
Wisconsin and was passed by a
vote of AZ to 32. AS the wool re-
vision bill now stands it must go
to conference, where the difference
es between the LaFollette compro-
mise bill and the House bill, may
be adjusted by representatives of
the republican senate and the dem
ocratic House. If the agreement
is consumated, a wool revision bill
of some kind will be brought out
of the legislative hopper of both
Houses, and submitted to the pres
ident for his signature or veto. In
view of Mr.. Taft's denunciation of
schedule K, and his further desire
to have all tariff revision await re-
ports from the tariff board, it has
been suggested that the present
legislation will prove embarraass-
ing.
Senator Gamble voted with the
regular republicans against any