The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-03
DEMOCRATS OPPOSE THE TARIFF BOARD Would Be Absurd to Pass
 Bill Now CONTROL NEXT HOUSE Democrats Will Make Tariff Legis- lation and Appropriation Bills to Suit Themselves at the
 Next Session
CONTROL NEXT HOUSE
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEy

Washington. March 2.-tSpeclah)- With a many cornered flibuster Tn progress, the Senate swings into it's last full legislative day. Senator Owen of Oklah oma states that the republican party has been thoroughly discredited Ay the country and that the appropria- tion bills should be drawn by tie dem- ocrats who are indorsed by the coun try. He states that he is strong enough if necessary to hold the floor and de- feat the pending measures
 Senator owen incidentally wants the tariff board bills passed. He wants to force a vote by using the supply meas ure as a club. With him stand nearly the entire republican side on the tariff board but only the insurgent repub . licans are enough enamored of the tariff board to lend any assistance toward forcing an extra session on that par ticular account With the exception of Senator owen and Senator tNeWlands of Nevada the democratic side is solid gainst the tariff board bill. The dem ocrats have maneuvered themselves into a thoroughly comfortable strateg- Scal position in which they are en- abled to pour some hot shot into the ranks of the republicans and place upon them the responsibility of de- feating the appropriation bills. Led by Senator Bailey and Senator Stone, they are making the republicans writhe un- der the situation in which they have been placed. From the viewpoint of democratic senator the tariff board bill is a wholly unnecessary proposition from any standpoint
 In view of the fact that the next House will be democratic and the dem ocrats under Representative under wood will frame the next tariff bill, the idea of creating a commission to advise and direct the democratic party, said commission to be dominated by majority of republicans, is looked upon by them as the height of absurdity. During today the democrats have eX- pressed their minds along this line. Bailey, Stone. OVerman, simmons and other democrats spoke at length. con fning themselves not to tEe tariff board but drifting off into discussion of the dian reciprocity agreement and the appropriation bills. The attf- tude of the democrats was plainly set forth and time after time was put up to the republican side without receiving an answer. This was it: "We will join with you at once in passing the appropriation bills, one after the other, and in cleaning up the business of the Senate so as to leave no excuse for an extraordinary session. We will not, however, per init you to force down our threats this tariff board bill, which is meas ure in which the public is not vitally concerned and which we regard as a political subterfuge upon the part of the President and his party intended to handicap democrats in framing a genuinely democratic tariff law. We are ready to vote at once on the measures which it is necessary for the Senate to pass in order to avoid an extra session and we ask you to lay aside this tariff board proposition until the necessary bills are passed
 This afternoon a democratic confer ence was held at which the democrats determined to stick by their attitude. They were convinced that their course in refusing to permit the appropria- tion bills to be held back because of the tariff board bill Is a thoroughly 5ustifable one and that determination to persist in forcing this bill through. regardless of the democratic protests will place the full responsibility upon the republicans The session this aft ernoon began with the democrats firm fin their stand and Senator Shively made an extended speech urging the repub- 1icans to bring up the appropriation bills and, temporarily, at least. lay this tariff board matter aside. He pointed out that there is no excuse for this determined effort to jam through a measure such as the one pending while vitally important bills lie in commit tees unconsidered.
 Other democrats followed MT. Shive- ly and a new element was injected into the situation when Senator Owen an- nounced his intention of filibustering against the appropriation bills unless there Is vote on the tariff board bill. TChe appeals of the insurgents continued unavailing and the democrats stood im- movably against giving the tariff board right of way over the appropri- ation bills. The strength of the dem ocratic position Is that if there Is to be an extra session, the failure of the appropriation bills will render it nec- essary for a democratic House to re- draft and repass those that fail, giving them an opportunity to prune from the appropria ations the various sums in- tended for pet projects of the Taft administration and q ear to the hearts of ropIlblican senators.