Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-13
DEMOCRATIC ISSUE
Up % Mr.. BRYAN
PROBABLE THAT FREE RAW MA
TERlAL MAY BE DEAD
QUESTION SOON.
MAY NOT FIND IT WISE
TO PRESS ISSUE TO FRONT
Probable That Same Element Which
Dominated Democratic House eau
Gus Will Control National Conven-
tion-Doubtful if Country Would
Follow Bryan in Raw Material Fight.

t!on-Doubtful 1t Country would
Follow Bryan in Raw Material Fisht.
Washington. June 1s.-It will de-
pend on Mr.. Bryan whether free raw
materials is to be an issue in the DEM
ocraeic national convention next year.
Prior to the caucus Of house demo-
Gratis. and following MIR. Bryans at
tack on the democrats who stood by
Chairman Underwood, OF the ways and
means committee, it was the guess OF
this city that Mr.. Bryan would be in a
position to take his free raw materials
issue into the national convention with
d good chance of success in that body.
But the unanimous support by house
gram. raises question whether Mr.. Bry-
an will find it prudent to take the raw
materials issue into the convention. 1t
is believed here that the same argu-
MentS which controlled the democratic
house caucus few days ago would
also control the national convention.
At any rate, the democrats who favor
a revenue duty on wool are in high
spirits over the outcome of the caucus.
and are predicting that the convention
next year will Of necessity indorse the
caucus action.
Incidentally, this action OF house
democrats promises TO unite the two
democratic tariff factions in congress.
one faction is led by Senator Bailey,
Ial; 1,,YI- nj
raw materials. Mr. Bryan has been
Seeding MI. Bailey for several years,
and has even gone to Texas several
times to make speeches against him
al because Bailey favors a revenue
duty on raw matrials. The other fac
ton in congress has been led by the
Bryan men in that body, and it has
favored removing the duty from all
raw materials. But this faction capt.
ulated at the house caucus. and thus
both arc now occupying common
ground. and democratic harmony in
congress seems on more substantial
foundation than before. The fact that
the party, as represented in the demo-
cratic house, is unanimous on the wool
question, raises the question OF wheth-
er MI Bryan will care to pursue the
issue to the point Of making it ma
rio-al convention affair. 1t is for Mr..
Bryan to make the decision. The issue
will not be raised in the convention
unless raised by the Bryan people.
House Faces Problem.
In passing judgment on I he differ
ence OF opinion between Mr.. Bryan and
the democratic house. 1t should be re-
membered that the house is charged
with grave responsibility. Not only
must it frame legislation which will
meet the APPROVAL of a majority Of house
members. but it must also command.
If possible, the support Of the demo-
Gratis and low tariff republicans Of the
senate. The house can not expect to
secure this last-named support If 1t
were to follow Mr.. Bryan on wool and
other matters. 1t is true that free WOO!
has at times been a democratic doc
trine, and it is also true that the treas
ury deficiency which free wool would
create can be made good By duty on
silk and rubber, now on the free list:
but even Their. say house democrats,
the question arises whether anything
could be gained. unless the duty on
wooden clothing were also abolished
If Mr. Bryan is not an out-and-out
free trader, then many people In this
city miss their guess. In his first tariff
speech, delivered in congress IN 1892
he said the beneficiaries Of the tariff
were men held together by the CO.
| hcsive power Of plumber" Later In the
same speech he denounced protection
as tine most vicious political pr1nci-
pie that ever has cursed this country.
| Mr.. McKenna OF California Interrupted
! Mr., Bryan to ask if he really believed
! that the protective policy Is similar
| to the pick pockets policy of putting
mans hand into another mans pocket
and extracting money from it. MI
Bryan answered this question by say
ing: Yes; that is my belief
Party Support Doubted.
| 1t is regarded as very unlikely, by
| public men in this city, that the coun-
try will follow Mr. Bryan In his pres
ent movement in favor OF free raw
materials. All democrats here desire
such a revision of the schedules as will
affect the price Of living, but they real
ize that the complete abandonment OF
the protective principle would lead the
party into deep water.
| 1t was inevitable that this break
should come between the democratic
| factions, and the party leaders are to
| be congratulated that the house stood
| unanim ously behind the program of the
| ways and means committee. Had Mr..
Bryan polled q considerable number of
democrats in favor Of his position, the
result would have been unfortunate for
| the democracy. The break has thus not