The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-04-14
THE DEMOCRATS QUANDAHY

Democrats are encountering difficult
ties right at the beginning of the
session. The House majority are
in doubt as where reciprocity will
fit in in the programme which they
will take up. Although that subject
was the one which instigated the
special session, and although the
president restricted his message to
that one question, the Democrats
had planned to either sidetrack il
altogether until the regular S ssion
next winter, or to place it at the
foot of the list on their schedule.
But pressure is being brought to
compel them to give the Senate a
chance to deal with it leisurely with
out prJtracting the session irto the
fall months. This pressure is being
exerted by the president and by
Democrats of some prominence
throughout the country. 1t Will be
remembered that Mr.. Clark, in the
programme which he announced on
taking Office as speaker, omitted
reciprocity altogether, although he
said afterward that this was an mad
vertence. Inthis dilemma the Dam
ocrats of the House have called a
caucus, to meet early in this week,
to determine when the reciprocity
bill is to be pushed.
The choice of leader which the
Democrats have made in the Senate
has involved that party in trouble.
Against the protest of many Demo-
cratic senator's and many Demo-
cratic newspapers, that party has
chosen Msrtin of Virginia to be the
leader in the Senate. Wnile the
party is in the minority in that
chamber, the position of leader is
considered to be of some conse-
quence, especially when the Repub-
lican lead will be only eight out of
a body of ninety-two members.
His Democratic enemies call Martin
"reactionary". They say he voted
with Aldrich, the Republican leader,
on nearly every division on the tariff
in his chamber in the extra session
two years ago.s Seventeen Demo
cratic senator's refused to vote for
Martin. They say he is sin the pay
of the interests" whatever that
means. His selection is as unwel-
come to what is called the ''progres
sive" element of the Democratic
party as that of Bailey would be.
Several of his Democratic opponents
declare that they will refuse to ac-
cept his leadership, and spokes
man of their own is likely to be
chosen this week.
Thus the Democrats in both legis-
latlve chambers have run up against
obstacles right at the start of the
term. In choosing Martin as
leader, with Bailey standing as
sponsor for Martin, the Democratic
insurgents are angered and the Re-
publican insurgents are repelled.
Martin, Bailey and the rest of the
Democratic Old Guards have re-
in the framing of the min
ority end of the Senate committees:
to virtually shut out the radicals.
Thus there is a prospect that such
of the Republican insurgents as may
refuse to follow their own party in
the extra session will induce the
Democratic insurgents to join them,
and form the nucleus of a third
party in the senate. Thus the con-
ditionS in each chamber portend a
long and wrangling session. Some
of the Democratic papers are telling
the Democratic Old Guard in the
Senate that the people in November
1910, did not vote against the Re
publican party, but against such
leaders as Aldrich and his Demo
cratic allies, Baily, Martin and their
associates. Republicans as we'll as
alert Democrats are saying that the
Democrats of both branches have