The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-24
Democrats w i'll Hurl
Themselves A G in st
Payne Aldrich Law.
LINES OF BATTLE
CLOSELY DRAWN
Free List Bill Means Long and
Turbulent Debate in House
and Final Vote Partisan.
Struggle in Senate Pre-
vents Getting Down to
Real Work.

ashington, April 23.-Thc first at
tack of the Democratic House OF Rep
rcsentatives upon the schedules of the
Payne Aldrich tariff law will begin
tomorrow. With tho Canadian reel
procity bill disposed Of as far as tho
House is concerned, the lines of battle
are being drawn over the bill intro
duced by Chairman Underwood. Of the
Ways and Means Committee. and APP
proved by the Democratic caucus. piac-
ing on the free list many manufact-
ured articles calculated to be of benefit
TO the farmers of the country.
That the bill Will pass the House
Is unquestioned. but there will be a
turbulent and prolonged debate, and
the division of tho final vote will be
far different from the vote on the reel
procity bill. Republican leaders declare
that at least three-fourths of the
sixty-seven Republicans who voted
with the Democratic majority for tho
reciprocity bill will be found this time
standing vallantly BY the minority and
the Republican protective policy.
Closely Partisan.
The Democratic leaders themselves
admit that upon the free list bill the
alignment Will be closely partisan. and
they expect that the discussion will
continue for n week at least, and pos
sibly two weeks. Then there will be
long lull in tariff revision activity
In the House. and before any more
tariff bills are submitted the lower
branch of Congress undoubtedly Will
be marking time and adJournng from
time to time waiting the report of tho
Ways and Means Committee on tho re-
vised textile schedules. The commit
tees real work on the revision of tho
wool and cotton schedules Will not be
undertaken until the farmers free list
bill has been passed.
After these schedules are prepared
there will be n caucus of the Demo-
cratic majority, and tho bills will he
reported to the House as the caucus
directs. That action probably cannot
come for three weeks
This extra session." said Demo-
cratic Leader Underwood to-day, as
to be essentially tariff revision ses-
sion. We have passed the reciprocity
bill and next week Will take UP the
free list BILL calling 1t up Monday as
soon as some appropriation matters are
disposed of. There Will be mileage
bill. some correction bills and then
the debate on tho free list Will DO
taken up. AS we handled the reci-
procity bill. so will we this one. Tho
outlook is that the free list bill will
take up more OF the time of the House
than did the reciprocity bill"
The reapportionmcnt bin is almost
certain to be called up next Wednes-
day in an effort to pass It, but opposi-
ton may delay the final vote. The
New Mexico Arizona statehood bill also
is on the calendar Besides these two
measures the program includes little
of Importance except the tariff, The
Democrats VIII resume the free list
discussion Thursday.
I'VE do not know yet what the re-
vised wool schedule or cotton schedule
Will be-" said Mr. Underwood "Infor-
nation now being assembled for the
use of the committee will be ready
when the committee gets time to de-
vote to this work after disposition
of the free list.
More Sweeping Inter.
81 know that by revising the pro-
hibitive schedules we will open tho
market to enough new material 10
more than compensate our revenues
for tho revised duties. The tariff re-
visions we will propose at this time
Will be steps In the right direction, but
Will not be as sweeping as the Demo-
cratic party ultimately win seek to
have enacted into law.
The free list bill will cut Oft about
Sl0,000.000 revenue. but S2,000.000 of
that is compensated for In the reel
procity bill. and we can see now where
we Will savo to the government more
than the other sS.o0o.00O through econ
omizing in government departments $,
which work is 10 be taken up at once
by the House Committee on Expendi-
lures"
In tho Senate the deadlock between
the Regulars and Insurgents over com
mittee assignments continues. and that
body is unable to proceed with the
reciprocity bill. Negotiations to com
plete the organization will he resumed
Tuesday, and IL is almost certain the
Senate cannot get down to practical
work for at least another week. When
it meets tomorrow adjournment until
ThiIrsdn iS cd Ii 49,