The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-23
Leaders Believe Many Subjects
Will Be Presented for
Action.
TARIFF ISSUE PERpLExING
IS Yet Democrats Have Not
Turned Wheel in Their
Program.

Washington, March c2.-Somc OF the
leading men in Congress are of opinion
that the extraordinary session will run
far into the summer. They base this
expectation upon the certainty that
the Democrats Will get into snarl
among themselves over the tariff ana
upon the theory that new Congress.
with complete change in the politi
cal majority in one branch and a PAL
tial overturn in the other, will be pos
scsscd with the lust for Legislative ac-
tivity,
The Democrats are finding 1t no easy
task to set their House in order for
the great work and responsibility be-
fore them. They are starting their
task under new and hitherto untried
conditions. The very organization of
the lower branch Of Congress is being
constructed upon a new pattern and
With unfamiliar tools.
Minus Dominant Leader.
There is no single strong and domi-
once the suggester and court Of last
resort There are fourteen leaders of
| equal rank, each king in his own
| right and representative OF Il sovereign
State. New rules are being designed
to meet the demand for more Demo-
cratic spirit in the conduct of legisla-
| ton.
It is feared by some that every
| broadening of the procedure means
| slackening of control and opening the
| door for confusion. Meanwhile the
! days are slipping by and the fateful
Tuesday is rapidly approaching when
the Democratic party Will be called up
on to make good the boasts OF what
| 1t would do when 1t came into power.
| Nof hac f,,rn he
| big job of tariff revision which con-
fronts the party No preliminary work
was necessary on the reciprocity bill
they are to take It or to leave 1t. Just
as 1t stands. But If the Democratic
caucus, called for April l. decides up
on revision Of one of the general sched-
ules. the House democrats will find
themselves absolutely unprcpared.
| Difficult Task Presented.
a tariff schedule, particularly such
a one as the wool schedule which is
/ proposed to be tackled, cannot be re-
vised in day and revised Intelligent
| ~. Ii is a delicate mechanism, adjust
cd TO the various branches Of the in
| dustry. The wool grower, the wool
| spinner. the preparer of washed
| secured and combed wool, in its various
| stages; the cloth makers, In score OF
branches all must be considered, even
in tariff which seeks revenue without
protection to tho manufacturer.
| The Committee on Ways and Means
would have to fall back upon the hear
| inGs and the record made in the prepa :
| ration of the Payne Aldrich law, or
undertake new hearings. The commit
! tee has no expert at work and has no
| technical information, gathered on the
basis of a revenue tariff, as opposed to
a protective tariff.
Some one has suggested that there
might be a horizontal reductlon-15 20
or IS per cont.--of every paragraph in
the schedule. That could be done. hut
1t is said, would be about as appalling
In result as to attempt to dust dis
play OF Sevres china with sledge-
| hammer.
+! The time which the responsible lead
| ers would otherwise have given to this
1 subject has been devoted TO the petty
| squabbling Of Tom, nick and Harry
over committee assignments.
Senator'S Serve Notice.
! Nor can the Democrats of the House
expect to cook up half bals cd tariff
| measure and send 1t to tho Senate for
| glazing and finishing. Democratic
Senators have serIed notice upon their
| colleagues in the House that there Is
not tojbe any repetition OF the action
| on the Wilson tariff bill, when the Sem
ate remade the bill upon an entirely
different principle =
+! You send us over a bill framed In
accordance with Democratic princi-
Continued al : Dc - -