The Washington times., 1911-07-30
TARIFF BILL VETO
TAFT'S PLEDGE To
.: AID PACT, ITS SAID
PenroSe's Support of Reel
procity Believed to Have
Been Thus Gained.
SITUATION MAY -
BE EMBARRASSING
Senate Allies Inclined to Put More
Revision Measures Up
to President.
By JUDSON c. wELLIvER.


Chairman Penrose, of the Senat,
FINANCE Committee, in favor of reci
procity. promised to veto any other tar
III legislation this session, is reportet
ana commonly believed among leader,
OF the Democratic-insurgent alliance IL
the Senate.
we understand" said one of the
senators who helped organize the WOO
Dill community of interest, that this is
the case. Senator Penrose has beer
quoted as tipping this fact to some OF
MS intimates. Not being one of them
! nave not had the statement directly
tbt9nl hlnl' but L have every reason to
believe 1t is true"
For weeks the assurance has been
given out that the President would veto
wool bill If it passed. The assurance
mas been traced to the White House al
most daily. There has been no doubt
was taking.
The story of the veto pledge is having
q strong influence on the course OF al.
1aars In the Senate at this time. 1t is
row planned 20 pass a free list bill, and
then take up the cotton revision meas
ure from the House. This is likely to
De made the basis OF a moro inclusive
measure, by hitching to it a revision Of
the iron, steel lead, zinc, and metal
other items. The allies are the more
disposed to stick together and make it
2ust as embarrassing as possible for the
President.
Could Act Quickly.
I'VE could pass a general revision Of
the tariff here in five days." declared
one Senator today, IF once We would
get started and it would become ap-
parent that the wool bill alliance was
willing to hold together More than
that, it would be no hodge-podse of
hali-b baked, unthought fragments.
The tariff has been before US now
for three years; subjected to research,
scrutiny, detailed study. Vast masses
of information from real experts have
been brought to bear, and there are
bills now pending, ready to be offered
as amendments the moment opportunity
affords, which represent the last word
OF accurate information and expert
analysis of the respective schedules.
"A bill framed at this time and passed
in the way the wool bill was would keep
the country satisfied for ten years. If
We should meantime get a tariff COM
mission, readJustmentS of schedules
could be made on 'he basis of the COM
missions information and reports"
The very suggestion OF putting away
the tariff in a pigeonhole for ten years,
and depriving them or Its political ad-
vantage next year.. is abhorrent 10
many Democrats, who expect that they
are going to carry the Presidency on
this issue. But not all Democrats take
this view. Some of them are anxious
10 move on to other issues, and would
be ready to forego the political advan-
tages, confident that in the Presidential
election they would finally get all the
benefit due them for a wise and pa
t1otic course.
Caucus Interesting
A stenograp phic report of the Senate
Democrats caucus at which the pre-
liminaries were arranged for the deal
that put through the wool bill, would
be highly Illuminating reading at this
time. There were, perhaps, One-third
OF the Senators in that caucus who in
sisted that no compromise should be
accepted. They were bitter at first in
insistence that If the House wool bill
could not pass, then the La Toilette
measure ought to get no Democratic
there was chance to secure enough
Republican votes to pass the Under
wood measure.
But the other two-thirds of the Sena-
tors in caucus took the wider view that
If they could not get a whole loaf, they
must accept the two-thirds that La Fol-
lette offered. There was some very
plain speaking, and the new element of
progressive Democrats, largely COM
posed Of men who entered the Senate
at the beginning Of this session, won
their first big, telling victory.
That caucus, according to Senators
VINO have told more or less Of what
happened in 1t, really forced recogni-
ton of a new governing force in the
Democratic side of the Senate
Part OF the agreement was that the
insurgent Republicans must not be in
formed that the Democrats would try
TO line up for the La Toilette measure
as last resort. This was necessary,
In order to preserve whatever chance
there was of putting over the Under
votes votes II % the ns insurseRts @ el had knoWn
positively that the Democrats could
hold their forces for the La Toilette
substitute, that would have ended all
hope of getting enough Republican
Not Sure of Victory.
La Toilette, therefore, when he went
on the floor that day to make the fight
which resulted in such a spectacular
victory, did not know he was going to
win. There had been merely an under
stsnding ftsio e Of cooperation SO far as rs POS. @
Democrats did not like to vote for the
La Toilette amendment, and some of
them even threatened to support the
emoot bill. in order to avoid the neces-
slty OF afterward taking position on
the La Toilette measure and perhaps
giving the Wisconsin man the glory of
q victory.
At the very last minute. informa-
ton came to La Toilette that some
Of the Democrats might do this; and
La Toilette boldly seized the bit and
served notice that he knew what
was going on. and its object That
spoiled the chance of such a project
getting anywhere.
As to further revision of the tariff,
much depends on the ability of the
progressive Democrats to keep con-
troll of their party. In the last forty
eight hours the prediction has been
freely ventured by Senators, both
Democrats and insurgents, that the
session may last many weeks longer
If the events of the next few days
turn the tide toward general revision.
OF that, these optimist are now de-
cidedly hopeful.