The Sentinel=record., 1911-07-26
STUCK ON
 WOOL TARIFF
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS FAILS TO AGREE ON WOOL REVISION
 BILL IN SENATE.
Caucus Will be Resumed Tomorrow Refuses to Act on Martins Res- oIution Favoring House
 Bill.

Washington, D. C., July 25.-Af-
 tNr more than three hours in caucus,
 Democratic senators tonight got no
 nearer a decision as to their party
 action on the house wool tariff re-
 vision bill now in the senate. As
 a result of this indecision the eau
 GUS will be resumed tomorrow night
 and Senator Martin, the minority leader, will endeaYor to have full attendance.
 It was d6resopei as result of ltonight's caucus that tke senate dem- locrats practically are unanimous In lsupport of the house measure. The difference in opinion exists on a Question of democratic attitude to- ward the La Toilette bill in case it lis offered as a substitute after the house wool measure is defeated. A number of senators expressed their desire to vote for the La Toilette lsubstitute after the house measure Twas voted down, supposing this is done, but a majority frowned upon this program, holding that as demo- Icrats the minority should stand or Hall with the house bill.
 Senator Martin brought the matter |squarely before the caucus by offer ling a resolution pledging the senate |minority's support to the house bill land to no other. No action upon it was taken. Senator Bailey, Reed and Williams all spoke in advocacy of support to the La Toilette bill if the |democratie measure failed.
 Without expectation of accomplish ling any result beyond the exchange of views, the democratic senators went into caucus at 8 o'clock tonight Ito consider wool tariff legislation. They were so much divided on the Iquestion.
 Probably the most startling devel- Iopment was the discovery in the ear- Fly afternoon that there was a possi- ibiiity of tine passage Of the house wool bill through the aid of insur- Igent republican, votes. The report Ito this effect became current through Expressions of Senator Poindexter of Washington, an fnsurgent, who is Friendly to the house bill, and the discovery created consternation on
 the republican side of the chamber.
 There was an immediate canvass of the situation and 1t was found that some of those mentioned as favor able to the house bill had been plac-
 ed in false position. Three or
 four of the insurgents were found to
 have said they would accept the house bill if no other measure could be passed, but so far as could be de- Itermined. the number was not srffi- cient to insure favorable action, and lby nightfall, the leaders of the regu- lar republicans had gained their lequinimity and were predicting that there would be no tariff legislation during the present session.
 This prediction was passed largely
 upon the results of conference held last night between the members of the senate committee on finance and
 Speaker Clark of the house, and
 Chairman Underwood of the house
 committee on ways and means. | At this meeting Mir. Underwood
 told the senators it would be impos-
 sible to get any modification of the
 house wool bill through at the house
 caucus and he intimated that he
 would not try. His announcement
 was accepted as in the nature of an Iultimatum from the house.
 The situation was further compli.
 cated by conference of insurgent republicans, at which the only deci-
 sion was not reached to treat with |the democrats as a body. A possi- |bility of compromise on raw wool lat the rate of 20 per cent was dis |cussed. but a sufficient number to Insure legislation could not be ob- |tained for rate of less than 35 per |cent. the La Toilette rate being 40 lper cent.
 I The fact that at least few of the insurgents may vote for the house lbill has stirred the democrats to make a general counting of noses.
 They have only forty democratic
 votes making it necessary to get Isix more to effect legislation. They lhava tberei96e ialegraphed Senator