The Washington times., 1911-04-10
TARIFF POLICY WILL
Be INFLUENCED BY
FINANCE PERSONNEL
Progressive Democrats Say
the Situation Is.
Critical.
URGE O'GORMAN OR
JOHNSON FOR PLACE
Senate May Instruct the Committee
How to Bring Out
Bills.
By JUDSON c. WELLIvER.

The whole course, and perhaps the
final fate. of Democratic tariff policy,
will depend largely on how the Commit
tee on Finance is framed. after the
Democratic and Republican vacancies
are filled.
Democrats who made the fight against
Martins leadership consider that the
situation is very critical There are
two Democratic vacancies on the FL
nance Committed; but as the Demo-
cratic side of committees is to be in
creased from five to six members there
are three appointments to be made, and
only three of the old members remain
Ing on the committee.
Two Already Picked.
The men who remain are Bailey and
Simmons, both of the pro-Martin or ex-
tremely conservative group, as to tariff.
and Stone. progressive. John Sharp
Williams of Mississippi and Shively of
Indiana are urged as new members.
These two are about decided upon, ac-
cording to the best information.
This leaves one more Democratic va
cancy, and either Johnson of Maine or
O'Gorman of New York is desired by
the progressives. 1t is insisted that the
great industrial East must have repre-
sentation in making a tariff that is to
New England is ready to turn up
side down politically; it is right on the
pivot" said Democratic leader today,
land 1t will get lot of encouragement
if johnson is put on this committee. He
is as democratic a Democrat on tariff
as we have; he is for the reciprocity
treaty and willing to defend vote for
1t In his State; confident that his people
will indorse the vote, too. He and
O'Gorman together. placed on this COM
mittee, would amount to a great bid tor
Eastern confidence in the essential con-
servatism and safety of any tariff bill
passed One of them certainly ought
to be named"
Political Argument.
Such Is the progressive and the po-
litical view. But there are Southern
Senators of long experience who feel
entitled by seniority to places on FL
nance, and their ambitions are persist
emily urged as against the new men
and the manifest political arguments in
favor of the latter.
The progressive Democrats are deter
mined to make their fight for revision
by schedule. They will oppose to the
bitter end any effort in the Finance
Committee TO consolidate the various
schedule bills into an omnibus measure:
and they are anxious to make sure chat
there shall be enough progressives-Re-
publicans and Democrats together-to
bring out the schedule bills as such.
This makes the new appointments on
the Republican side very important. In
deed, the progressive Democrats are
hardly less concerned about the Repub
lican appointments than about their
own.
Aldrich, burrows, Hale and Flint re-
tire from the Republican side. 1t is
common understanding that La Toilette
and Cummins will get two of the places.
The other two are likely to go to the
conservative side, and to strengthen the
backing of the omnibus plan.
Progressive Prospects.
II this happens, the committee would
be cor,posed of seven regular and two
insurgent Republicans. and of three con-
servative and three progressive Demo-
Gratis. On its face. this suggests de-
cided advantage for the omnibus plan.
But the advantage may not be so great.
CuIlom is a possible recruit to the pro-
Eressive view; so is McCumber: and
even Lodge Is regarded as not entirely
hopeless.
The progressives of both parties, how
ever, are talking seriously of the possi
bility that the Senate may be compelled
to instruct the Finance Committee how
4 shall bring out the schedule by-sched-
ule bills. The prediction has been freely
made in the last two days that the big,
decisive fight in the Senate will be on
some sort of resolution designed to COM
NIT the Senate to the program of re-
vision by schedule aE1 TO. instruct the
Finance Committee tC bring out the
measures in this form.
The latest canvass of the Senate on
reciprocity indicates that not over nine
Democrats will vote against the pact,
and that thirty-two will favor it. This
leaves il necessary to muster fifteen Re-
publican votes for 1t, and the question,
is close one. "