The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-04-07
ALLIEDCONTROL
OF THE SENATE
PrOgressives of Democrats And
Republicans in League.
new SITUATION AHEAD
Canadian Reciprocity and Tariff Revision
Dependent Upon Leadership in Com
ifg Congress and Presidential Veto

NDHSItSS dVu NN'O
When the United States Senate met
in special session April 4, a situation
utterly dissimilar to any presented in
the last quarter century Of its parla-
mentary history developed. The cruX
of this situation was the capitalization
of third party in CongrosS-a PRO
gressive wing" partly drawn from the
Republican and partly from the Demo-
cratic party.
Hitherto the progressives have been
known as Insurgents They formed a
revolutionary band. practically without
organization, and fought the pioneer
battles against the Aldrich control.
The result of the last elections has
strengthened theirpositon wonderfully.
and they are now past the experimental
stage. With their less radical allies on
both sides of the chamber they are IN a
position to dominate the Senate from
this time forward. The strong arm of
Aldrich, whose leadership maintained
absolute control in the Senate for so
many years, is gone, and he has no sue
ceSsor.
The Republican progressivcs are ten
in number, with several others who are
strongly progressive in tendency. These
ten are Clamp, Lal'olIette, Gronna.
Borah, BrstoW, CumminS, Townsend,
WORKS and poindcXter. Senator Be-
veridge could be counted rs a progress
sive, If he had succeeded in his fight
for reelection. His successor, John W.
Kern, is regarded as good Democratic
progressive. so no vote was lost lDr the
cause in Beveridge's defeat.
BY combining with the Democrats
when eXpedient and Withdrawing their
support from the Republican organza-
ton the progressives plan to exercise
controlling interest in the extra ses-
sion of Congress.
On the question of Canada reciprocity
the consideration of which was the
specific purpose for which the extra
session was called, and on the general
question of tariff revision, the progress
sives will be able to swing the deter
mining votes on any straight party line
up. Should the Democrats pursue
strong progressive policy, they will he
able to control the Senate with the aid
of the progressive Republican wing.
With heavy majority in the House of
| Representatives it should not be dill
cult for the Democrats to enact what
ever legislation they desire into law.
The only obstacle will be possible
presidential veto of progressive legis-
lation.
That the progressives will be of the
greatest assistance to the Democrats
in framing tariff legislation is gencr-
ally conceded. Most of the tariff ex-
perts in the Senate are progreSSlves.
fact which was demon trated clearly
enough in the great debate on the
PAYNE Aldrich bill in 1909. In this de-
bate few of the Democratic Senators
made scientific study of the schedules.
Many of them cared only to gain desired
protection for their home products.
They assumed a distinctly provincial
and parochial point of view. Now,
however, they are committed to tariff
revision and to tariff for revenue
only" as broad, national policy.
The present indications are that they
intend to place this tariff for revenue
only" upon the statute books at the
earliest possible moment. They will
probably try the "piecemeal scheme"
of revision at the coming special session
anu llTSl dtldCh SOlIic VI tht S'hN'u'N'
which are VIGOROUSLY unjust. Complete
tariff revision probably will not come
until 1913, and then only in the case Of
Democratic success in the National cleo
tionS in 1912.
The progressives will render able
assistance in this plan of revision sched-
ule by schedule. Complications will
arise, unquestionably, out of the debate
on the Canadian reciprocity agreement.
Some Democrats favor making this
agreement merely rider" to a gen
eral tariff bill, and give President Taft
the alternative of accepting both or
gaining neither. Such plan could he
worked out provided there Was no con-
flict between the reciprocity agreement
and the tariff measure. Lower duties
on certain commodities other than
those specified in the agreement would
not invalidate it, since Canada is willing
to take as low tariff as is offered her,
but higher duties would. Some of the
progressives are known to view the
reciprocity agreement with disfavor,
because of its discrimination against
the farmers, without any compromising
lowering of duties on manufactures, but
: they may be willing to waive their OBJ
jections to gain q larger end.
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make splendid use of the amount.