Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-07-07

encyclopedia knowledge of political
methods, a wide acquaintance, youth,
courage, and an ingrained habit of
winning He will of course have tAe
Illinois delegation, and will be a fig
ton
Oscar Underwood is, or was, Har-
mon man. His state Of Alabama has
been looked upon as a sure territory
for the Ohio governor. But 1t would
be only natural that the remarkahle
record made by the Democratic leader
on the floor of the house should awak-
en- a sentiment in his state for q IA
vOrite son Of her own. A Kentuckien
by birth, Underwood could certainly
carry that state, which Of late has
given the Democracy much concern.
For the rest he is admired by his
adversaries, and idolized by his sup
porters in the house. Men like Payne
and Mann declare him to be the most
resourceful antagonist they have
found on the Democratic side A
skillful parliamentarian, a good speak
er, holding himself always in perfect
control, he is model leader, and his
following is daily increasing.
Clearly, then, the Democratic pres
idential possibilities are not summed
up in three names The field is large
and the winner not easy to pick.
lorimer Sticks for His Friends.
Once again the case of the Hon.
Billy Lorimer holds the center
of the congressional stage. 1t is a
senatorial case, of course With it the
house has nothing to do beyond look
ing on and making sardonic comments.
1t seems rather a pity that the house,
which has put through with exemplary
industry and dispatch every piece of
business which has come before it,
could not have been entrusted with
the handling of Lorimer. OF course
it has nothing to do with the matter.
When LOrimer. after an utterly incon-
spicuOus service in the house, was
transferred to the senate, the house
washed it's hands of him and rejoiced
in it's new cleanliness.
Lorimer, and his claims upon his
senatorial seat, forced the present ex-
ira session upon the country. There
is every reason to believe that the
persistency with which he clings to
that seat may prolong the session be-
yond reason. The senatorial commit
tee appointed to inquire into the cir
cumstances of his election has just be,
nc nd &c n
anticipate a finding before next De.
cember
Meanwhile Lorimer has a vote, and
uses it-uses it in way to justify the
belief that he is arrOgantly Indifferent
to public sentiment, and wholly servile
to the interests that elected him and
retain him in power.
Republican Split Sensational.
1t will be a long time, as time runs
in politics. before congress stops talk.
ing about the split in the Republican
party emphasized June 81 by the acri.
monious debate in the senate. The
occasion was the adoption of Senator
Cores resolution directing the finance
committee to report the wool schedule
and the farmers free list" bill not
later than July 10.
Dignif1ed committees of the senate
are not accustomed to dictat1on OF
that sort. The senate itself, lulIed
into security by long years of unin
terrupted Republican, or rather stand
| pat, control, could hardly believe tina,
this dictation should have been forced
by Democratic senator-anu pc
cuIlarly progressive, not to say radical
senator at that But as one after the
other the progressive Republicans
voted with the Democrats, discarding
for the first time this session any
semblance of party fealty. the stand
patters first gazed aghast, then broke
out into trades of abuse
The progressives are eiated by the
Jones of Washington. Though rated
as progressive, Jones never clearly
showed his hand until June 81, when
he stood squarely with his colleague,
PoindeXter-nay, went even further,
declaring that he would fight for a
final adjournment.
And that is precisely the thing
which now portends. There Is ex-
IRENE likelihood that the whole tariff
issue will be opened and that con-
gress will adjourn barely in time to
December. 1t is clear enough that
with the reciprocity bill, the free list
and the wool schedule before it, the
senate has long weeks, perhaps
months of debate before 1t.
But Oscar Underwood has served
notice that he does not intend to keep
the house loafng while the senate
talks. Unless there is swift action
upon the measures now before the
upper chamber the cotton schedule
will be sent over to that end of the
capitol by the house, and if delay on
that is prolonged, steel and iron will
follow it. There bids fair to be enough
tariff work proffered to the senate to
satisfy even the ambitious Senator
Jones. If it is enacted the house can
point to a Democratic program en-
acted into law; if set aside without
action, the cry already heard in all
parts of the nation, Abolish the SEN
ate," will get new force.
Aside from tariff measures the SEN
ate has before it the bill for congress
sional reapportionment based on the
eleventh census. Important as this
l.,