Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-07
PLAN AMONG DEMOCRATS TO
FORCE TARIFF BILL UP
TO TAFT.
BRYAN OPPOSES PLAN
AND HAS OWN PROGRAM
Attitude Of Nshraskan q Surprise -
Wants Democrats to Pass Rsciproe.
ity Agreement and Afterwards Re-
wise Tariff-sryan's Influence Great
and He May 30 Able to Win.
Especial correspondence.1

Especial Correspondence
Washington, April THAT there
will be a strong effort made by senate
democrats to hitch to the reciprocity
agreement bill for the revision OF one
or more tariff schedules is becoming
quite clear.
Something may happen between now
and the time when the senate disposes
Of the reciprocity agreement to pre-
vent this but the tendency just now Is
in that direction The talk is strong
for carrying out a plan to put up to
President Taft for signature or veto a
measure which will comprise the Can
adian reciprocity agreement and tariff
legislation.
In the path Of this plan to unite
the reciprocity agreement and tariff
legislation are large obstacles OF a
democratic nature. One Of them Is Will
liam Jennings Bryan. Mr.. Bryan Is
taking a most active interest in the
democratic program. He is strongly
advising the democrats in the senate
and house to pass the reciprocity
agreement without attaching anything
else to it.
6ryan's Attitude Surprises.
1t will no doubt surprise good
many people that Mr.. Bryan is taking
the position that congress owes IT 70
President Taft to pass the reciprocity
agreement without trying to hook 1t up
with other legislation. Not many Of his
enemies would give Mr.. Bryan credit
for taking a stand so broadminded as
this but there Is good authority for
saying that he is SO counseling his EEL
low democrats in the senate.
Another obstacle to the plan OF load
ing the reciprocity agreement up with
an amendment in the shape Of tariff
legislation is this. that the house DEM
ocratic leaders are bent on considering
the tariff schedule by schedule and
there will be strong opposition among
them to any plan Of uniting reciprocity
and tariff Legislation 1t is true. there
is a considerable democratic element
in the house that favors the plan OF
combining reciprocity with tariff leg
islation but this element 10 IN the NIL
nority. Il is not the desire OF Chair
man underwood, Speaker Clark or the
men who are responsible for tariff leg
islation In the house that there be any
policy of yoking up reciprocity with
something else
Deadlock 10 Possible.
In fact as things stand now. 1t is
entirely possible that the senate DEM
ocrats and the house democrats Will
get their tariff and reciprocity policies
so much at variance that there viii
he a deadlock It has even been sug-
ee.ted that the house might refuse to
receive the tariff measure when 1t is
sent over from the senate II 1t is
changed beyond all recognition.
Colonel Bryan has been a busy man
while in washington and has given an
exhibition OF how busy he might be ex-
pected to become were he actually
m enber OF tho senate. He has been
busy counseling with house and senate
aders and keeping shy Of Gov. JUDI
son Harmon. He and Joseph Weldon
Bailey have had no love feasts. But
what he has done 10 to tell the demo-
Gratis what sort Of a program on tariff
they ought to adopt.
What Bryan Proposes.
The idea of Colonel Bryan Is to have
the house pass a general tariff revision
bill. He would thus have the demo-
Gratis make clear and precise to the
country Just what sort OF tariff legisa-
ton might be expected II the democrats
were in control Of things entirely at
Washington. Then, he would have this
bill go to the senate and would have
the democrats accept such measure
as the progressive republicans in the
senate were willing to put thru. Thus.
ne would accomplish the double task of
getting an exhibit made to the country
Of democratic tariff legislation and he
would get enacted sunch tariff reduce
lions IS could be secured as a practical
matter OF fact thru the cooperation of
senate democrats and progressive re-
publicans. While accomplishing some
tariff revision legislation such as he
believes Mr.. Taft would sign. he would
at the same time put the burden Of
shaping the legislation in Its last
analysis on the senate republican in
surgents.
Yields Strong Influence.
While Colonel Bryan's tariff program
will not be followed In its entirety,
there is a strong prospect that when
the tariff and reciprocity legislation is
finally shaped 1t will be found that a
large measure of what he advocated
has been carried out. Not only Is It
extremely doubtful whether any at
tempt TO yoke the reciprocity agree
ment up with tariff legislation will
succeed in the senate but as an actual
fact the men who will have more to
do with shaping tho tariff legislation
than anyone else will be the senate
progressives. They will hold the bal
ance Of power on the finance commit
tee, providing they get the two men,
beers on that committee that they ex.
pect to. They will also hold the bal
ance Of power on the floor Of the SEN
ate Moreover, they showed in the last
tariff fight = capacity to probe deep
into the tariff schedules which was not
manifested either by tho republican
regulars or by the senate democrats In
this session. they Will be in much better
position to shape the tariff, a. well as
other legislation. than they were in
1909.