The National tribune., 1911-03-30
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.
Clark Free of
Committee Assignments, But
Concerned About Prospective
LegislatiOn-Must Be "The
Big Man" Somewhere in the
Shuttle.

With the flag end of March passing
into retrospect. Washington is peering
into early April and the extra session.
To be sure, the lawmakers are not yet
upon the scene. They will come tard1ly,
hut the last days of this week Will
bring most of the Democrats to the
local hotels and boarding houses. For
by Saturday important caucus work Will
be in hand, and no Democrat VIII care
to absent himself from the gathering
S The Democratic caucus promises en-
Iiehtenment about details. The general
Democratic program has already be
come rather an old story. OF course, IT
has been formulated by the few who
have tarried in the city during the va
cation month of March. Those who
expect the caucus to play hob with the
work of the Ways and Means Commit
tee will apparently be disappointed
Speaker Champ Clark, back from two
weeks of mighty hard work on the lee
ture circuit, has the caucus program in
the back of his head. Altho affecting
a policy of non-interference and of sub
mission to Democratic caucus judg-
ment. he none the less expects his
brethren to troop in pretty solidly be-
hind plans he may outline. He Will
speak his mind very freely in caucus,
but it will not be till after he has adj
vsscd carefully with the Democrats
whose Judgment about affairs he be-
Heves in.
The Ways and Means Committee
Democrats may wrangle and wrestle
with committee assignments. The new
Speaker is not worrying himself about
their troubles in that quarter little
bit. He has dilated much and gaily
about his freedom from committee wor-
ries: Prospective legislation and the
extent of tariff revision, however, are
different matters. The new Speaker, If
he is to be the real leader of his party
in the House-Qust announce policies
and command a. Following. If he does
not rise to his opportunities in these
particulars. he will speedily become lit
tie more than the presiding officer or
the House.
The caucus is to be big adjunct of
House government under the Demo-
cratic regime. In that caucus Speaker
Clark, in order to maintain his pres
tige, must be the big man. He certain=
ly starts off with the confidence CT his
227 Democratic colleagues. At the be-
ginning there is little reason to doubt
that they will accept his recommends
lions as to the program fer the session
with enthusiasm and unanimity. The
willingness to acquiesce in majority
views during the last fouy months have
given the House Democrats consider.
able confidence in themselves. The
members are SO well
pleased with their success in organizing
the House harmoniously that there are
no "sore Spots" and they are willing to
accept the caucus verdicts in spirit
Of party discipline. 1t is for Speaker
Clark to prove his qualities as leader
as the session progresses. As long as
he holds the confidence of the caucus
his leadership from the marble rostrum
where he yields the gavel will be i'm.
Business Conditions Satisfy Democrats
There is very special satisfaction in
circles because business and
are showing no alarm. This
may be due quite as much to the fact
that there is a Republican President in
the White House and the remnants of
a Republican majority in the Senate as
to real confidence in the Democratic
House. Nevertheless the Democrats of
the House, from the least unto the
greatest, as far as they have yet arrived
for the extra session dwell much on
this attitude of public confidence. 1t is
giving the Democrats new confidence in
themselves. .t
For the opinion grows daily, and has
already become conviction. that there
is to be TO general ripping up of tariff.
So afraid are the head men of alienat-
ing public confidence that IL there were
no Republican Senate and no Republf-
can President the Democratic House
would be quite as cautious They are
ready to reduce the high duties that are
popularity objectionable. They wish to
execute the commission which the peo-
pie are supposed to have given them
to revise. bur they are very determined
upon doing this, IL possible, without
undue disturbance to business.
The violent work of the extra session
may be expected in other directions
in the probing of the Departments and
in political activities. That will not
disturb business, even tho it should
further the prospects of a Democratic
President in 1913. There are a little
more than so new Democrats in the
House, nearly all of whom were elected
from districts that have been going
Republican. They cannot afford to
come down to Washington for five or
six months and do nothing of interest
to their constituents. 1t is Democrats
such as these who have been insisting
that they must have their committee
assignments. Once Congress is in ses-
sion they will want to do committee
work. A vast deal of effort in that
line is feasible, makes news back home,
sometimes educates public sentiment,
and may not necessarily bind the House
to vote approval of conclusions.
1t will be no surprise if the south end
of the Capitol fairly huns with COM
mittee industry for two or three months
till Washington gets uncomfortably
warm, Any one of the score of leading
of the House can easily
command topics of importance for con-
There will undoubtedly be
a flood of bills, and as soon as these
are introduced or before that hearings
may be begun. The matters will be
from a new political angle.
A week or more must elapSe before
either the Senate or the House actually
gets shaken down TO working form
There is much routine formality to be
in House and Senate organiZa-
ton. Both bodies have a lot of de-
tailed building TO do before 1t can be
said that every cog and ratchet is in
position. 1t may easily be mid-April or
early May before the machinery is run
ming smoothly and the House is ready
to turn out the kind of initial tariff
measure that its Democratic leaders
want.
The Presidents PronunciamentO.
Signs are multiplying that there may
be fine old clash early between the
Republican President and the Demo-
cratic House of Representatives The
President has already issued a couple
of informal prDuIIncja ueutoaS a bnItf