The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-18
HAVE Their WAY
Democrats Are Permitted to
Pass Cotton Tariff Bill
Without Help or Interference of
Republican Senators.
REGULARS WALK OUT
Insurgents Accuse Minority of
Acting in Bad Faith.
Forced to Vote Against Their
Own Amendments.
REGULARS WALK OUT

unexpected as it was effective. sudden
" threw the Democrats into complete
control of the senate in their own right
and forced them absolutely to abandon
their coalition with the progressive
Republicans.
Out of the chaos and the uproar
came a bill to revise the cotton sched-
ule of the Payne-Aldrieh tariff law.
1t was the bill as passed by the house,
but saddled with amendments to re-
wise the iron and steel. III cotton ma
chinery and chemical schedules OF the
tariff law, coupled with d provision for
reciprocal free trade in bituminous
coal across the Canadian border
The bill as amended viii 90 back 10
the house and probably will be sent
to conference. If it emerge from this
ordeal and goes to the White House
II Internationally will meet the fats OF
the wool revision bill, which was We
tOed by President Taft.
Democratic votes alone were cast IN
favor of the bill. The regular Re
publicans deliberately absented them
selves from the chamber. and thus leIl
their progressive colleagues In nope
less situation The insurgents, taken
by surprise were thrown int q rage.
Alternately they denounced what they
termed the treachery of the Democrats,
with whom they had been in alliance,
and inveighed against the regular Re
publicans for the part they had played
In the new combination.
In vain the insurgents invoked for
gotten rules of the senate to compel
the regulars to attend ard to cast their
votes Senatorial courtesy was tossed
to the winds. The insurgents charged
that the Democrats had rrOken faith,
although in caucus the latter had de-
termined to carry through an insur-
gent-Democratic program on the cot
ton bill which would rave included
the adoption Of a LaF gillette substi-
tute for the measure.
They insisted that tho Democrats
had entered into an agreement or I'M
derstand ding with the regulars to leave
the progressives in the lurch.
Neither the regular Republicans nor
the Democrats would admit such an
understanding existed. but Senator
Bristow (Kan) boldly declared that
he overheard a conversation between
Senator Johnston (Ala.e, Democrat,
and Senator Penrose (Pa-), the reg
ular Republican leader. that left no
doubt in his mind.
Republicans Excused.
Despite the drastic rules invoked.
many of the regular Republicans still
insisted on their right to decline TO
vote and when serious consequences
threatened they resorted to motions to
be excused, which, in several cases,
were carried by majOritles
The Democrats sought to relieve
their new found allies with a blanket
motion of excuse from voting, but this
plan failed
Whatever the understanding, the re-
suits accomplished were definite and
decisive. The Democrats found them
selves in a position where, for the sake
of party consistency, they had to dis
regard their previous arrangement
with the insurgents. This arrange
ment was based on the belief that the
Democratic house bill first would be
defeated and that the Democrats and
insurgents would combine to pass
La Toilette compromise measure Just
as was done with the wool schedule
When the voting began, however,
there came a sudden realization that
the Democratic bill would pass without
the aid of the insurgents, enough regu-
lar Republicans having walked out of
the chamber to give the Democrats
clear ma jority.
The break in the senate coalition,
which had made tariff legislation pos
sible. was taken to mean the early APP
prach of adjournment. The Demo-
Gratis, 1t was said, already had set
about to placate the insurgents. but
this was regarded as impossible after
the events of the day. Without an
effective working arrangement be-
tween these two elements of the senate
all further attempts at legislation
would be useless. Senator Penrose
predicted that the session would ter
inmate WITH the weekend.
None OF the insurgent leaders would
discuss the situation. They felt that
they had achieved a material victory
IN the adoption of the iron and steel
amendment. This amendment origi-
nally drawn by Senator Cummins was
withdrawn by the Iowa senator. It was
taken up in its entirety by Senator 3D.
con. Democrat and rushed into the
cotton bill.
The regular Republicans made no at
n rl,I5~
ing put the insurgents in a position
where they were compelled to vote
against cotton revision at this time.
Senator Cummins rallied his insursent
colleagues to vote against his own
amendment for an iron and steel tariff
revision when that amendment was Of
fered by Senator Bacon. Senator Rris-
tow helped to defeat his own amend
ment for revision of the sugar sche-
dule when it was offered in his absence
by senator Jones, Of Washington.
La Toilette Gets No Help.
Progressive Republican Leader La
Toilette declared it was impossible for
the insurgents to vote for the Demo-
cratic bill; While the Democrats had
agreed that if their bill was defeated
they would be willing to support the
LaFolette measure. AS the progress
of votes showed that the amendments
had a clear majority owing to the alb
sence OF the regular Republicans the
insurgents set out in an effort to get
a vote on the LaFollette compromise
bill. which. it had been expected, would
be adopted in place of the house bill.
Senator LaFollette finally offered his
bill as a substitute for the house bill
and the amendments that had been ad-
ded to It. He appealed to the Demo
Gratis to vote for his substitute declar-
ing that the Insurgents We're yielding
a great deal, but could not support the
original house bill.
The LaBoilette substitute received nc
votes. however, but those of insurgents
The Democrats voted against it. as did
a handful of regular Republicans, all