Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-12
Democrats Plead for Defeat
Of Root Amendment.
This Weeks Program a Busy
One Conferences Figured.
Speculation Regarding Adjourn
rnsnt- Developments.

Washington, June 1.-THE opening
OF the fight ON the Canadian reciproci-
| ty bill ON the fioor of the Senate Tues
day. with House Democratic leaders
urging the Senate To defeat the Root
amendment to the paper schedule: a
vote in the Senate tomorrow on the
popular election of senators bill re-
sumption of the wool tariff revision
debate in the House, Tuesday--this is
the weeks program in Congress.
Several conferences are figured upon.
including caucus OF Democrats in
the House "Wednesday night TO eonsid-
| er extension of the legislative program
and a meeting of Republican senator's
Tuesday TO revise the list of Senate
employees. House investigating COM
mittees win continue their work.
Meantime there is much speeula-
| ton as to the probability of adjourn
ment. This Senator Smoot and some
others predict viii take place as early
as July q, whereas the Democrat tic
House leader. Mr.. Underwood, says
If the extra session continues until
late summer or autumn" more
comprehensive scheme of tariff revi-
sion will be proceeded with by the
House. Early action on the reciprocity
bin, hoped for by the President. seems
unlikely unless the Root amendment.
which has been objected to as fatal to
the agreement, is defeated.
Mr.. Underwood and other Democrats
who oppose the Root amendment, now
propose TO exert all the influence they
can to prevent favorable action on the
amendment so that it will be necessary
for the bin to be referred to the lower
branch of Congress.
! Word from the Senate finance COM
mittee that it has practically wound
up its business for the extra session
has reached the House. Democratic
representatives are about to be con-
WINGED that the Senate committee will
not pass upon any of their tariff Leg
| islative bills the free list and wool
bills and one yet to come, probably a
revised cotton schedule upon which a
House subcommittee of the ways and
means is now working
Whether the Democrats of the WAYS
and means committee will take up re-
vision of any other schedules such as
sugar and steel will depend. of course.
upon the length of the session.
There is probability that We will
| undertake to revise other schedules
! after we have passed the wool bill and
drafted a cotton BILL" said Mr. Under
wood, today. "If the session continues
| until late into the summer or until fall,
| We might as well go ahead with our
| tariff program, After cotton. sugar and
steel schedules would naturally be dis
| cassed.
Put if the Senate is going to get
| through with reciprocity and refuse to
| take any action on the farmers free
| list and the wooden schedules then
recess probably will come and our work
can go over until next winter.
Because of the attitude of the Senate
| finance committee toward the House
tariff bills, Senator Stone. backed by
! other Democrats has served notice that
| after waiting reasonable time for the
| committee to act. motions will be
made to have it discharged from bills
referred to IL. Such bills are the free
| list bill and the wool bill, which will
| go to II. as fast as they are acted upon
| by the House This would force discus
| sion of these measures to the front
! and disposition of them in that way
might be made, but not without pro-
| longed debate.
In the Senate tomorrow the bill pro-
yiding for the popular election of Unit
ed States senators by amendment to the
| constitution, will be voted on. Indica-
| tons point strongly TO its passage by
| the necessary two-thirds majority. AT
the last session q similar measure al
| most obtained the necessary two-thirds
vote.