Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-03-16
BOTH SIDES ARE
PLAYING POLITICS
May Be Time Wasted In EX-
ira Session

Washington, d. c., March l5.-The
seeming impossibility for the leaders
of the two great parties to exercise
the qualities of craftsmanship when
chance is presented to play politics
is exhibited in the situation now de-
Veloping at Washington and Augusta.
This is evidenced by the contradic-
tory reports of purposes and inten-
tions emanating from the temporary
white house and the tentative" com
mittee on ways and means of the
house. Comment on this situation is
very frequent in Washington now
1t is further remarked that a for
night ago, when the probability of an
extra session of congress became
certainty, the announcements from
both camps were to the effect that
the purpose of the session was the ell
actment of the Canadian reciproci-,
pact and the reduction of duties upon
certain of the necessities of life, with
the end of decreasing at least in q
measure, the burden upon the con
sumer's pocketbook
With the call of the extra session
just eight days old, and the assem-
bling Of congress just % days Off
the situation has switched.
Both Sides Playing Politics.
The quetion now heard in the region
of the capitol is
How far can we force the presi-
dent in the matter of downward revis-
ion by using the threat of defeat for
the reciprocity pact?"
From Augusta comes the covert ex-
preston of sentiment:
How little reduction of the general
tariff will the democrats permit in Or
der that the reciprocity agreement
may not fail of enactment"
In other words the political camps
at Washington instead of preparing
for a sort of party truce with the
view of entering into a broad discus
sion of the necessities of the minute
and waiting upon the session of the
congress for the eXer-
else of the democratic preroga.iye
of framing a general tariff law and
of bringing the individual bills into
a general scientific alignment one with
another on basis approaching tariff
for revenue only, and Of the republi-
can fight for the retention of the pro-
tective system, are preparing to play
politics with a vengeance From the
democrats comes through the under
ground connections of the Ways and
Means star chamber the word that 4
series of tariff reduction bill will be
attached to the reciprocity pact and
that President Tafts hand will be
forced From the republicans comes
the promise that rather than let the
democrats settle down to a thorough
going revision they will squabble over
the whole business and let tariff revi5-
ion and the reciprocity pact go to the
''bow-wows" together
The present situation is said to be
embarrassing for both sides. 1t is
thought the embarrassment is of a po-
litical character; that out of it will
come success to neither side, and that
while the public sits by waiting for
the promised relief the Jealous party
leaders will permit the squabble to run
we'll into the summer, with but small
hope of eventual agreement on any
real worth while reduction of the Op-
pressive duties or any signal advant-
age for the general public.
There is heard here also the eX-
pressed view that the extraordinary
session will result in not less than five
months of relatively fruitless en-
leavor.