Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-07-07
Senator Martin and Reciprocity
way you I.

Senator Martin and Reciprocity
The duty of the democrats in the
United States senate is to stand firm
for straight eciprocity 49, for the
agreement as submitted by Mr.. Taft
which has been ratified by the house
of representatives and which is now
under discussion on the senate. Not
only should the Root amendment be
defeated, for its real purpose was to
kill the measure; but the efforts to
load the treaty down with tariff
amendments shouldd be thwarted. for
such amendment as would place the
measure in grave jeopardy.
1t would be a serious mistake to
risk reciprocity for an uncertainty in
the shape of mixed reciprocity and
tariff reduction, and if this should
be done and reciprocity should fail
the country would hold the democrats
responsible.
The democrats in the senate should
see to it that the reciprocity agree.
ment goes back to the president Just
rs it came from him and as it passed
the house. At least. they should give
it solid support and the responsibility
for its defeat, if it should be defeated
rest udpon the republicans.
With this measure DISPOSED of.
other tariff Legislation may be consid-
cred upon its merits. The farmers
free list bill and the Underwood wool
bill have already passed the house.
These important measures should
also receive the united support of the
senate democrats, again forcing the
republicans. insurgents and standpat-
tiers, to go on record and shoulder
responsibility for the defeat of these
measures, if they should defeated
In this case is the wisdom of the
senate democrats in selecting Senator
Thomas S. Martin as their leader
must begin to appear to those who
believed that mistake had been
made. The Washington correspondent
of the Baltimore Sun writes interest
ingly of the upheaval which occurred
in the senate few days ago and
which left the democrats under the
leadership Senator Martin Practically
in control az ..Tal body for the pres
ent. The correspondent says:
while the fight was started bv
the motion of Senator Gore, of Okla
homa. and was made possible by the
sixteen insurgent and near-isurgent
and republicans, the real fruits of
the victory will go to the democatic
party, and much of the real credit is
due to Senator Thomas S. Martin, of
Virginia, who gave demonstration
of progressive leadership that has
vastly strengthened his position and
won him communication from men
who have heretofore opposed him.
1t wbas Martin who masharlled the
democratic forces and who directed
the fight and who led it on the floor
calling the bullying Penrose sharply
to account for his discourtesy toward
the blind senator from oklahoma. re
fuslng to yield the floor to the Penn
sylvania boss, and bowling over Henry
Cabot Ledge. who warned the senate
that if the Gore motion prevailed he
would not accept the responsibility bv
informing him that the time had
come when the senate would relieve
him of all responsibility in the mat
ter.
Now that the initial fight has been
won and jagged hole made in the
protection ranks, the democrats are
planning to maintain the advantage
and increase it. What they want is
results, and while through analliance
written insurgent focres they can
continue in control of the senate.
they do not propose to pemit the lure
OF this alliance to carry them into
false position. This was made plain
by Senator Martin in his speech YES