Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-05-04
DEMOCRATS FAIL
TO AGREE ON WOOL
Presidential Ambitions Of a Mem
Der Of the House Complicates
Situation in Committee.

Washington. May 2.--Complcated by
The presidential ambitions Of one Of their
number. as well as the necessity of con-
serving every advantage for l9l2. the Stu-
alton in the democratic House with res
pect to the wool schedule has now reach
ed an acute stage. with the line of battle
sharply drawn between those who are
insisting on free wool and those who In
sist that it would be political suicide for
the House to remove the entire duty
from this product
A serious split in the ways and means
committee, 1t Is learned. Is impending
unless some compromise can be reached.
There are Hodse democrats who declare
that the presidential ambitions of a MEM
Der of the House. or of any other demo-
crat, shall not Influence a revision Of the
wool schedule.
When he democratic members Of the
present ways and means committee were
named there was general impression
in the caucus, especially among the more
radical democrats. that raw wool would
go upon the free list. Democrats from
thoe states that do not produce wool
have been bowling for years about the
lnquitles OF the wooden schedule.
Now comes Chairman Underwood and
several other influential members of the
ways and means committee. who declare
that II will never do to take the duty off
wool, but that the majority must be con-
tent with a substantial reduction"
such declaration mas proved red
flag to those peculiarly constituted demo-
Gratis who will be dissatisfied unless the
wool schedule is ripped from end to end
They are threatening to denounce the en-
tire program during the debate unless
he ways and means committee agrees
to the demands of the free wool crowd
on the other hand, with the demands Of
other factions just as insstent, there are
the middle West democrats who practic-
ely want protected raw wool.
Between these extreme factions there
are various democratic groups each with
its own idea as to an equitable revision Of
the schedule. Some propose a reduction
In the present tariff of - per cent others
d. per cent; stiu others . per cent, while
some come near enough to free wool to
suggest 10 per cent. The chief wrangle
however, Is due to the fact that members
OF the ways and means committee seem to
be thinking too seriously Of 1912 while
the free wool democrats are insisting that
presidential ambitions and revision of the
WOODEN schedule shall not be confounded
democratic platforms have pretty consist
emily called for free raw wool. Why go
hack on these principles. demand the free
wool advocates, simply because some
would-be presidential candidate is afraid
kof losing a vote in wool-growing State
The ways and means committee mem
yhors are in a quandary. The situation is
becoming critical as the committee pre-
pares to tackle the wool and cotton sched-
ules. These are to be taken up as soon
a. the farmers free list bill passes, proba-
bly, the latter part of the week.
The more conservative members Of the
committee. aside from the politics OF re-
vision have said that tho democrats can
not dispen- with the 500 900 revenue
now produced by raw wool imports. The
free wool radicals say: "Pouf! Wen make
up the s2000o,O00 by cutting down the
pension rolls curtailing the naval pro-
gram or reducing the duty on manu-
featured wool to such an extent that in
creased imports will compensate for the
loss on raw wool"