Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-17
Free List Bill First Block to
Promise Resistance.
Paine and Mann Allied in A.
tack on HaSiy Procedure.
Popular Election and Publicity
Prospects in the Senate.

Washington. April 16.-So far in the
| extraordinary session of Congress it
has ben plain sailing for the well or
| ganiZed Democratic majority House,
but in the view of a strong and
healthy minority, there are breakers
| ahead.
Democratic leaders refer with pride
| to the achievement of passing the bill
| for the popular election of United
| States senators and the campaign
publicity bill III two legislative days
| and to bringing before the House the
| Canadian reciprocity agreement with
| assurances of its ratification by an
overwhelming majority by the middle
of this week. To all these features
of the legislative program there has
been little opposition. The wonder OF
it to the experienced observer was
| the demonstration of the smoothly
running Democratic machine.
| But by what is to follow-the free
| list bill approved by the Democratic
| caucus and favorably reported by the
| new committee on ways and means
the rapid pace of legislative pro-
| gress is expected to receive a sudden
| Saturday furnished an opportunity
for the minority leaders to signal
| their intention and to make it clear
| that the bill placing on the free list
manufactured articles in demand by
| the farmers of the country will be
| fought as stubbornly as any proposed
Democratic tariff measures that ever
| We're opposed in Congress- The ma
I l.
not be rushed through and they ara
preparing to meet the vigorous as
sault upon it in a prolonged debate.
Chairman Underwood of the ways
and means committee, intends to sub
nit to the House the committees re-
| port on the free list bill on the con-
| Guiding day of the reciprocity debate
| so that it may be over and be called
| up the following day.
The tariff debate, it is expected will
| begin at once. and it is the hope of
| the Democrats that the bill can be put
up on it's passage within two weeks.
The determination of the minority
leaders to assail it from every angle
doubtless win result in keeping the
measure before the House for a much
longer time.
The minority members of the ways
and means committee in considering
the proposed free list vote solidly
against it, maintaining that it was
a hastily framed measure i'll advised
and not sufficiently backed up with
information relating to the revenues
concerned. Furthermore, it was point
ed cut that the tariff board had not
been consulted. That Mr.. Mann the
minority leader will conduct a stirring
attack on the bill is beyond all ques-
tion and Mr.. Paine who was chair
man of the old ways and means com
mittee viii be allied with him in di-
| recting this attack
This will be put the beginning of
tariff excitement for the Democrats
| are already preparing revised wool
and cotton schedules to be presented
as soon as possible,
Later on the agriculture schedule
will be tackled, and then will come
again the controversy over the high
cost of living. With all this in pros
pect not to mention the proposed
Arizona and New Mexico statehood
bill anti-injunction legislation, reap
portionment and appropriation bills,
| the present outlook is that the House
will be kept busy until WcH into the
summer.
Two important pieces of legislation
are ready for the Senate which will re-
| sumo tomorrow. but the Senate is not
| ready to consider any legislation and,
| to all appearances, it is making no
| haste to be in shape for the consider
| alton of House bills. The Senate COM
mitteeS are not yet named and when
it meets tomorrow it is probable that
| another adjournment will be taken until
| Thursday. One of the Senate leaders
| when asked how soon the committees
| would be ready replied:
| "Well we are on the defensive in re-
gard to the tariff, and I guess we are
in no hurry to appoint committees. The
Senate will take its time
| The prospects, however. are good for
| the passage by the Senate of the pop
ular election and campaign publicity
| bills There is considerably new Pro
gressive material in the Senate and the
| popular election of senators is sure
to meet with a more favorable recep-
ton than it did in the last Congress.
where it received majority but not
| the necessary two-thirds majority.