The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-10
SENATE DOOMED
 ID SWEEPER FOR
 SEVERAL WEEKS Making Practically no Prog ress on the Important
 Matters Pending PRETTY COMFORTABLE IN SPITE OF WEATHER Leader Penrose Fails in His Effort to Keep Them in Session
 Every Day After 6
 O'clock
By WALTER HARPER

By WALTER HARPER
 Washington, July 9.-(Special)-In spite of the fact that the Senate made a brave effort at meeting early and hold ing late during the past week, the mem bers have fallen short of the scheduled working hours from one to two hours every afternoon. The programme se- cured by Leader Penrose early in the week was to begin the days work at ii o'clock and hold until 6.
 Sunny Jim Sherman is always in the chair at the scheduled time for calling { the Senate to order and seems ready and } willing to stay on the job until sundown, but before the hour for adjournment comes the senators break down and break up the meeting on some excuse or an- other.
 It is hard work to speak against the terrific heat that prevailed most of the week. and the senator who has any heart in him must have much sympathy for the vice president, who is in the pecu- liar and unprecedented situation of hav- ing no one he can leave on the job while he hees for temporary rest spells to the cloak room or the Hobbies or even out Oi lit CltA oi d udS NaNotioii
 The democrats, the republicans and the insurgents failed in the opening of the session, to agree on a president pro tenn aud the fight was finally abandoned. leaving Sunny Jim on the job alone. If some pressing business calls the genial vice president out of the city the Sen ate has to adjourn.
 off to adjourn over to Monday, but this failed for want of unanimous consent There seems to be a disposition among some of the senators that if they cannot ter mnate the session every man or at least a quorum must stand to the rack and keep things going If speakers should fall Leader Penrose stands ready at any moment to demand vote on the reef proeity meas ire. which would be followed z by an effort to adjourn the session with out consideration of some of the other questions that are still unsettled.
 But so far there has ben no lack of speechmalsing All the oratory has not been directed to the discussion of the measures before the body, but they are squeezed in some pretext or other, apparently to prolong the sus- pense of final show down on the main issues.
 A great deal of time is being taken up in the discussion of many subjects that are foreign to the main subjects before the Senate For instance, Sena- tor Works of California few days ago took up great part of the work ing day In a discussion of the proposed establishment of department of health and took occa ion to air his views on briS civinr faith a boost that was worth to the creed many. inch es of good space top of col umn, next to pure reading matter. The speech had been announced and . the galleries were well filled With Christian Scientists Good roads and trade commission are other subjects the discussion of which has taken up considerable time
 Just before the close of the Friday afternoon session Senator Cummins tried to secure unanimous consent for agreement a on the taking of vote on his proposed amendment to the reef procity bill early next week. After three quarters of all hour had been con- stunned in a dog g-chasing- his tail' com ody performance in which various ob- jections to such agreement were ad- vanced. MT. Cummins withdrew his re- quest and his amendments are still be- fore the Senate with the promise of another weeks discussion before they
 
 ceed to the consideration of other amendments that have been prepared and will be introduced when their au- thors have had an opportunity to pre- sent them. Some of the senators are hoping against hope that the discus sions will break down during the pres ent month and that vote can be taken on reciprocity about August l.
 But when reciprocity is out of tne way there are several other matters that are demanding the attention of the Senate, even though the free list bill and the wooden schedule already passed by the House are ignored and allowed to go ever to the regular session.
 There is the proposed amendment to the constitution providing for the election of United States senators by the people. It was first passed by the House, then amended with the Bristow amendment fin the Senate, sent back to the House for concurrence turned down by the House and sent back to the Senate with out recommendation or request that it be sent to conference The Senate sup piled this oversight, premedtated, per haps and asked that the bill go to con- ference Senate conferees were appoint ed and when request was made of the House Speaker Clark appointed House conferees.
 The disposition of the House is to stand
 
 amendment, and there is chance that it may be eliminated by the Senate if the matter can be brought to another vote. It only passed before by one vote. that of the presiding officer, to break tie after Senator Clarke of Arkansas had voted with the republicans for the amend ment. f
 Then there is the redistricting measure that has not yet reached the attention of the Senate. This promises to precipitate . rather long discussion, as it has been announced that Senator LaFollette is pre- pairing to attack some of the provisions
 Some of the insurgent republicans are determined that the free list bill and the woolen schedule shall be disposed of at the present extra session, and with demo- cratic support in this programme they will. come near having their way. Chairman Underwood of the House h ways and means committee got the dem ocratic members of the committee to- gether Thursday and went over a rough draft of the cotton schedule. The full committee has been called for Monday and work will begin on the final draft in earnest. There Is still considerable work to be done before the schedule 's ready to present to the House. but 1t