The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-01
FREE LIST BILLS FATE IN SENATE
 SEEMS IN DOUBT Democratic Senators, How ever, Will Give It Solid
 Support
BAILEY AMENDMENT E
 STRONGLY OPPOSED
Some Senators Repent Their Coali- ton With the Insurgents-Wool Conference Will Be Call
 ed by the House

Washington, July 31.-After two long caucuses today all the democratic sena- tors late tonight decided unanimously
 to support the farmers free list bill passed by the House and which will hs
 voted upon tomorrow In the Senate. At
 the same time the democrats Of the House committee on ways and meafs
 at night meeting formally decided 70
 recommend to the House tomorrow that
 it ask the Senate for conference on
 the wool tariff revision bill. l The Senate caucus adopted a resolr- tion offered by Senator Bacon pledging
 support to the House free list bill and nsuring concerted action by the dem-
 oerats in an effort to ,pass the measure
 unamended This is regarded as doubt l ful and 1t was agreed that in case of
 defeat the bill would be reoffered, modi- fled by an amendment to be submitted,
 by Senator Kern granting the advan- | tages of the bill only to those countries
 which admit free of duty American
 corn, oats. hay. cotton and hogs. l Although the Bacon amendment was
 adopted unanimously, Senator Bailey.
 whose proposed amendment to the bill l
 measure was killed by the action of the
 caucus, withdrew with some of his fol-
 lowers before the vote was taken. His
 withdrawal was not in the nature of a l bolt. however. and a solid democratic | front is expected to morrow. Just where the insurgent republic
 ans stand tonight Is not certain. Complications Democratic senators today found them
 selves unexpectedly face to face with g complication, and the situation shifted from absolute assurance of passage of l the bill to d doubtful outlook at the close of tile day.
 The general impression had been that
 the Bailey amendment, eliminating meats and four of all kinds from the proposed l free list. would be added to the bill passed the first vote by the same cor-- binaton of democrats and insurgent re-
 publicans that put through the LaFonette
 compromise wool bill last week.
 The real situation dawned at the out
 set of the two-hours' session of the first caucus of the democratic senators, a meeting not long enough by half for the
 critics of the bill to express their disap- proval. All their opposition was directed
 at the Bailey amendment. and ad- journment was taken until evening to permit further exploitation of the sub ject.
 l This was time for consideration of | legislation other than the free list bill.
 although consideration was expected for
 a report that the House would not even
 ask for conference on the wool bill be- cause of the antagonism there to that | m in ha i ate, Senators who talked with members ] of the House ways and means committee, however were advised that Chairman Un- derwood probably had brought majori- | ty of the committee to point or will | ingness to meet members of the Senate
 in conference within a day or two. MT. Underwood said today that the House probably would take action as to confer ence tomorrow.
 Dislike Bailey Amendment Many senators in caucus voiced dis approval of the Bailey amendment. Their opposition was in response to a
 suggestion that the bill could be treated as the wool bill by voting it down, then
 reconsdering and amending and pass ing the measure as amended Some senators were disposed in the caucus to repent their action in join
 ing with the insurgents In passing protective measure. They urged that if the insurgents wanted to act with the democrats they should come to the democratic terms.
 Senators Clapp, Nelson, Poindexter and LaFollette were said to be among republican senators who would sup port the bill 1t passed the House. In the Senate today 1t developed in | the debate on the free list bill that l some of the proposed insurgent re- | publican amendments would not en- | cumber that measure. Senator Cum
 mins of Iowa said he would offer his
 amendment to change the metal sched- | ule of the present tariff when the cot
 ton bill comes over from the House
 and not as a rider to the free list bill.
 Senator Brlstow of Kansas announced | he would not offer his sugar schedule
 revision amendment tomorrow. MT Bristow, who wants the duty low cred on imported sugar. addressed the
 Senate today He declared the present
 duties standard test is not to protect
 the people of the United States from
 impure sugar. but to protect the re-
 liners.
 Keep your protection free from graft" he warned, for otherwise the people will destroy it altogether"
 Senator Shoot of Utah attacked the
 Brstow amendment. saying the duties standard test should not be eliminated
 until sugar sold in this country is re- quired to be mark ed to show the quan- tity of sachharine matter it contains
 Senator Gore of Oklahoma introduced an amendment to the free list prohibit ing free entry of Canadian agricultural implements, cotton bagging and ties, leather boots shoes, fence wire, meats cereals, flour. lumber and salt until all these articles are admitted into CanaSsas~ free of duty.