The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-07-21
CONFRONTING
DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS
House Majority Up To Present Has Had
Smooth Sailing But is Threatened By
Action of Senate -BriStow Amend
ment Threatens Direct
Election Bill

Washington, D. c., July 20.-Just to-
ward the close of a remarkably sue
cessful and satisfactory session of
congress the house democrats find
themselves in a sea of perplexities over
the turn which the senate has given
their excellent legislative program.
Thus far the house majority has had
smooth sailing. The only squall that
has appeared to mar the serenity of
the voyage, the clash over tariff on
wool, was weathered successfully.
Now almost Unexpectedly through the
developments and prospective develop
ments in the senate, the house demo-
Gratis find themselves face to face with
a half dozen perplexities, over each of
which the house majority is not neces-
sarily split, but earnestly and sincere
ly divided.
First of all, there is the question of
direct elections of senators, with the
Bristow provision specifically giving
congress supervision over such elec-
tions. The division among house dem
ocrats over the question of ratifying
the amendment with the Bristow pro-
vision is more serious than it was
among the senate democrats.
! Just at this time, as far as the house
leaders have been able to gauge the
sentiment, the democrats are divided
about half Believing truly that five
southern states easily will be found
that will refuse to ratify the amend
ment as framed by Mr. Bristow, the
opponents of Mr. Bristow say it would
be better to give up passing the amend
ment at this time and taking chances
with the next session than accept the
provision and take the chances with
the southern legislatures. The divi
sion over this subject is not bitter
but very emphatic. At one time it ap
peared that the house conferees would
accept the Bristow provision at once
but at yesterdays conference the mouse
conferees set up very determined op
position to it.
Then there is the campaign public
ity bill which passed the senate Mon
day, with the drastic amendment
which the senate progressive demo
Gratis under the leadership of Senator
Reed of Missouri inserted There is
good deal of democratic opposition
in the house to that bill This opposi
Ition is not directed against the public
lity features of the senate bill, bu
against that feature of the Reet
amendment which seeks to give con
gress a regulative control over pri
maries in the states. The distinction
between regulation and publicity is ;
fine one and is described thus TIL,
provision specifying the manner ant
character of the making public thu
campaign expenses in primaries is no
IA regulation of the primaries, but th
provision undertaking to say that /
candidate for office in a state to REP
resent that state shall not spend NOR
than $4,000 or $4,000 in campaign /
an attempt to regulate such a can
paign.
The opposition is really opposition
to extending federal authority of an
kind over state primaries.
But the gravest perplexities whic
conflict the house democrats arise owe
the tariff bills. 1t is recognized tha
while the senate democrats will max
fight for the house bills on wool, CO.
ton and free list, the parliamentar
I situation will shape up so that the il
surgents in the end will be able t
} force the senate democrats to vote 70
| the insurgent wool and cotton bill O
J for the retention of the Payne-Aldric
J schedules. In addition, the senat
democrats will feel that they can nc
afford to vote against any revision {
the steel and iron or other schedule
hat the insurgents may offer as amend
] ments to the free list bill, and th
program is set for the passage of sue
bills by the combined votes of th
insurgents and democrats. Thus nc
q single tariff bill created by the hous
! democrats will pass congress. and tn
house will have to face the alternativ
IF voting for the insurgent bills G
! against any form or reduction in tn
tariff.
: They realize the hopelessness of tn
situation as far as it concerns the pa
sage of any purely democratic tari