Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-07-14

democrats Is hot TOO many lnVeSt1ya
tions, with the necessary accompany
ing expenses, but rather that they
may be scared off the trails they have
struck by Republican outcry against
the price of the pursuit.
Refuse to Stop Probing.
Just at present Oscar Underwood is
out of town, and it is striking evi.
dence of the personal prestige he has
gained that in his absence nobody will
talk definitely about what the Demo
cratic program will be. But at Ieas.
half a dozen prominent Democrats
with whom I have talked declare that
the work of investigation will proceed
and the cry Of extravaganza raised
against the Investigators will be ig-
nored.
IF we can compel the law officers
of the United States to proceed GRIM
inally against the heads of the steel
or sugar trust" said one, at will be
saving money in the end to the people
even though each investigation costs
twice the amount appropriated I
don't know what the cost thus far has
been of the investigation into expendi-
lures in the state department, but If
it shall convince the secretive gentle
men there that to issue a voucher for
S2,450 in payment of an $3.50 bill is
bad business. it is worth the cost
Nobody hopes to get to the bottom
of affairs in the post office depart
Ia
partment is the hardest nut we have
to crack. 1t may be that only a
change in administration, with
clean sweep of the general officials
in the department, will ultimately be
necessary. But at any rate it may be
said right now that not one of these
investigating committees has failed to
start trail which, properly pursued,
will lead to the quarry sought"
What VIII the President Do?
1t is long time since congressional
circles have been quite as much dis
quoted by speculation upon the fu-
ture action of a president as they are
today. Without exaggeration it may
be said that the smiling and easy
going Taft, the travelling and golfing
Taft, the president who has been Sc
cretly criticised by the foremost mem
bers Of his own party, just now holds
the winning cards in the immediate
political game in his own hands. Fur
thermore, he is stubbornly keeping
those cards face down, for to him Is
the advantage of the last play.
Only insiders know how the politi-
cal game would be simplifed for in
surgents and standpatters If they
could but tell what the president is
going to do with tariff legislation that
may come to him from congress. They
do know that he will veto the reel
procity bill If 1t carries any amend
ment whatsoever. That is the reason
why the Root amendment was so cas-
lily slain in the senate the other day.
But what of the free list and the
wooden schedule soon to be before the
senate, and the cotton and steel SEIZED
ules which will speedily follow?
The Democrats, of course, don't care
much if the president signs or vetoes
er the senate passes Or defeats them.
They are going to stake the next
presidential election on their efforts
for the downward revision Of the tar
if. If these efforts are rendered abor-
tive by senate hostility or by presi-
Dental vetoes they can point to the
Democratic record and argue that If
fnI NV {Io 10 t., h.
elections they will have a senate and
president who will make their mi
tial legislation effective.
Republican Factions In Quandary.
But the two factions into which the
Republican party is split cannot get
together on tariff legislation, and are
eager to throw the decision over to
Taft. 1t would delight the insurgents
in the senate to pass the free list bill
If they were sure Taft would veto it,
for they feel that such action would
weaken the president and strengthen
them.
The standpatters would not mind
seeing the wool schedule adopted If
they were sure the president would
sign it. That they think would end
him, and whatever the temper of the
people, the desire of both factions of
the Republican party is to relegate
Mr.. Taft to private life. But with an
equanimity that battles his foes, that
gentleman goes on making admirable
speeches in favor of tariff reduction,
and defending above all his reel
procity treaty, without giving a hint
as to what he may do with the flood
of bills that will follow the reciprocity
bill
There is no doubt in congressional
circles that the president would pre-
fer to evade the responsibility of pass
ing upon a lot of tariff schedules. He
called the extra session to enact the
reciprocity treaty into law, and would
prefer that congress should adjourn
as soon as that is accomplished But
that preference is not destined to be
gratified. The Democrats have their
free list and their wool schedule on
the senate calendar. Only a deter
mined flibuster lasting until Deem
Der can prevent their coming TO
vote The longer the delay, the more
schedules will be shot over from the
house. Cotton Is about ready now;
steel in process of completion So
some of these bills will surely go to
the president.
What will he do with them? The