The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-08-24


move by the regular Republicans as
unexpected as it was effective TO-
day suddenly threw the Democrats
into complete control of the Senate
in their own right and forced them
to abandon their coalition with the
progressive Republicans. Out of the
chaos and the uproar, came a bill to
revise. the cotton schedule of the
Payne-Aldrich tariff law. 1t was the
bill as passed by the house, but sad
died with amendments to revise the
iron and steel, the cotton machinery
and chemical schedules of the tariff
law, coupled with provision for re-
ciprocal free trade in bituminous coal
across the Canadian border.
Democratic votes alone were cast
in favor of the bill. The regular Re-
publicans absented themselves, de-
liberately, from the chamber.
Insurgents Rage in Vain.
The insurgents, taken completely
by surprise, were thrown into rage.
Alternately they denounced what they
termed the treason of the Democrats
and inveighed against the regular
Republicans for the part they had
played in the new combination, which
had brought about revolution IN
the Senate as startling and sensation
al as the coalition which earlier had
robbed the regular Republicans OF
their supremacy in the house.
The insurgents invoked all-but-
forgotten rules in an effort to stop
votes. The insurgents charged that
the Democrats had broken faith, al
though in caucus last night the lat
ter had determined to carry through
an insurgent-Democrat programme
on the cotton bill, which would have
included the adoption of a LaFol-
lette substitute for the house meas
ure. They insisted the Democrats
had entered into an agreement or
understanding with the regulars to
leave the progressives in the lurch.
Bristow Thinks He Knows.
Neither the regular Republicans
nor the Democrats would admit that
such an understanding existed, but
Senator Bristow, of Kansas, boldly
declared that he had overheard a
conversation between Senator John
ston, of Alabama, a Democrat, and
Senator Penrose, Of Pennsylvania,
the regular Republican leader, that
left no doubt in his mind. Despite
the rules invoked, many of the regu-
lar Republicans still insisted upon
their right to decline to vote and
when serious consequences threat
ened, they resorted to motions to be
excused, which in several cases were
carried. The Democrats sought to
relieve their new found allies with
q blanket motion of excuse from
voting, but this plan failed.
Whatever the agreement, whatever
the understanding, the results &C
complished were both definite and
decisive. The Democrats found
themselves in a position where, for
the sake of party consistency, they
had to disregard completely their
previous arrangements with the in
surgents. This arrangement was
based upon the belief that the house
bill first would be defeated and that
then the Democrats and insurgents
would combine to pass LaFollette
measure, just as was done with the
wool schedule.
Without Insurgent Aid.
When the voting began, however,
there came sudden realization that
the Democratic bill would pass with
out the aid of the insurgents, enough
regular Republicans having walked
out of the chamber to give the Demo-
Gratis a clear majority anu stlll malu-
tain the necessary quorum.
The break of senate coalition,
which had made tariff revision pos
sible, was taken tonight to mean
early adjournment.
Without an effective working ar
rangement between these two ele-
ments of the senate, all further at
tempts at legislation will be useless.
Senator Penrose predicted tonight
that the session would terminate
with the weekend.
Amazement of insurgents at the
unexpected Developments to-day
changed TIA fighting spirit that last
ed until the last roll-call was taken.
None of the insurgent leaders would
discuss the situation tonight in any
of it's phases. They felt that they
had achieved a material victory in
the adoption of the iron and steel