St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-07-05
DEMOCRATS ROUTED.
Their Coalition With The Insur-
gents Has Failed. Republi-
cans 0uGwitted Them.
Washington, July 3.
Old Caledonia:

The last few times / have tried
to inform you OF the situation here
that sane elusive situation has en-
tirely changed the next day after ]
have written you, 50 that by the time
the letter is published it has no act
ual connection with real conditions.
Laboring under even a worse dis
advantage I note that last weeks
Caledonian gave an editorial synop-
sis of the congressional situation as
it was when the editorial was writ
ten, but which same, by the time the
paper was issued had somersaulted
completely. So what is poor editor
or correspondent going to do?
AS the senate adjourned from Sat
urday over to Wednesday of this
week in order to avoid a mix-up with
the Fourth, therefore it is not
likely to reverse itself again before
this issue is out. Just now, and in
spectacular comparison to what. it
was a week ago, the advantage is
now very decidedly with the admins
tration, The momentary-insurg1ac coal
ition exploded in mid air like rock
ct, and came down like stick. Any
further combination of the sort on
any progressive question seems en-
tirely impossible during this session
at least. The insurgents discovered
that the democrats had used them
as monkeys to pull the two demo-
cratic tariff bills out of the furnace
of the finance committee, and as com
pensation they did not receive as
much as a few drops of oil to apply
to their scorched fingers. Whatever
advantage accrued to the combine re-
NAMED with the democrats, and that
| has proven an embarrassment rather
than an advantage.
| Tt will be remembered that the
coalition, made on the spur of the
moment, succeeded in instructing the
republican finance committee to re-
port the wool schedule bill and the
free list bill into the senate not later
than July 10th. The first surprise
as a result of this came the next
morning, when Chairman Penrose re-
ported both bills in with an adverse
report. So the democrats got them
three weeks before they wanted them
or were ready for them. And the
insurgents did not want them at all.
Knock Out For Democrats.
The next knockout which the sem
ate democrats received was when
Senator Penrose brought in an order
for the adoption of the senate asking
that the final vote might be had on
reciprocity July oath, vote on the
wool schedule July 18th and a vote
on the free list bill July 9th. This
completed the coalition rout, and
they are now located somewhere be-
tween the devil and the deep blue
sea. And all because of these facts:
| For weeks the senate democrats have
been affirming and threatening that
they would never allow vote on rec
iprocity unless they were first as
sured that the wool and free list bills
would be voted on. The insurgents
also joined in this demand, hence the
coalition But they did not see far
lieve that the republicans would give
them the opportunity, and therefore
they would be given an excuse for de-
laying reciprocity and perhaps kill
ing it, as well as securing campaign
material. When the Penrose order
came in they were dumbfounded and
simply gasped for breath. They
thought there must be some joker
in it somewhere, but are now con-
yinced that the offer is made in good
faith.
What can the democratic senators
do? There is only one thing for
|
ceptions they are solidly for pure
and unamended reciprocity, and of
course are for the tariff bills sent
over by the democratic House. There
fore, they are willing to agree to the
order as offered by Penrose, vote
on all three bills and then go home.
OF course the republicans are for the
order, leaving a little knot O finsur-
gents fighting against it. and trying
to delay or prevent any action by
every possible means. Understand
that, please. The insurgents in the
senate are now preventing action on
anything, and threatening, if they
can, to keep congress here Indefinite
ly.
Plight of Insurgents.
Here is the real reason for their
conduct. In the matter of tariff
the republicans want to build revi-
sion on the report of the board of
tariff experts as constituted by Pres
ident Taft, on non-partisian and
scientific lines. This report is not
now available, but yill be ready for
use at the beginning of the regular
session in December. The democrats
want to enact the tariff bills as they
are prepared by the House leaders
and sent, to them. The insurgents
disdain both schemes and propose to
make purely insurgent tariff bill,
compromising everything which
they consider essential, and are in
sisting on forcing it through between
both the old parties. If they cannot
rule they will ruin, and hold up con-
gress and the business of the coun-
try. Therefore, they are objecting
to anything and everything which
contemplates action on anything at
this session except their own pro-
gram. There are your progress
sives."
8. But, it is inconceivable that a half
dozen men can do this. They can
make and are making an Infinite
amount of trouble, but they cannot
long stand out against a congress
which desires to do business and go
home, which sentiment is at the same
time backed by the people from ocean