The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-04-21
BREAKERS AHEAD

of Congress it has been plain sailing
for the we'll organized Democratic
majority in the House of Represent
atives, but in the view of strong
minority, there are breakers ahead.
Democratic leaders refer with
pride to the achievement of passing
the bill for the popular election of
United States senators and the cam
paign publicity bill in two legisla-
tive days and to bringing before the
House the Canadian reciprocity
agreement with assurances of its
ratification by an overwhel elning ma
j9rity by the middle of this week.
To all these features Of the legis
lative program, however, there has
been little opposition. The wonder
of it, to the experienced observer,
was the demonstration of the
smoothly running Democratic ma
chine.
But by what is to follow-the free
list bill approved by the Democratic
caucus and favorably reported by
the new committee on, ways and
meaus--the rapid pace of Iegisla-
live progress IS expected to receive
a check.
Reciprocity discussion, begun
Saturday, furnished an opportunity
for the minority leaders to intimate
their intentions and to make 1t clear
that the bill placing on the tree list
manufactured articles in demand by
the farmers, will be fought as stub
bornly as any proposed Dcmocatic
tariff measures ever were opposed
in congress. The majority leaders
realize the bill cannot be rushed
through and they are preparing to
meet the assault upon it in pro-
longed debate.
Chairman Underwood, of the
weys and means committee, intends
10 submit to the House the commit
tees report on the free list bill on
the concluding day of the recipro'
city debate so that it may be called
up the following day.
The tariff debate, it is expected,
will begin at once. and II is the hope
of the Democrats that the bill can
be put upon its passage within two
weeks. The determination of the
minority leaders to assail 1t from
every angle doubtless will result in
keeping the measure before the
House for much longer time.
The minority members of the
ways and means committee i'll con
sidering the proposed free list voted
soIidly against it, maintaing it was
hastily framed measure, Ill advised
and not suffi iciently backed up with
information relating to the revenues
concerned. Furthermore, it was
pointed out the tariff board had not
been consulted.
That Mr.. Mann, the minority
leader, will conduct an argument
against the bill is beyond question
and Mr.. Payne, who was chairman
Of the old ways and means commit
tee, will be allied with him in d.
reCting the attack.
This will be but the. beginning of
tariff excitement, as the Democrats
already are preparing revised wool
and cotton schedules to be pre-
sented as soon as possible and later
on in the session the agricultural
schedule will be tackled.
With all this in prospect, not to
mention the proposed Arizona and
New Mexico statehood bill, anti
injunction legislation, re-appoint-
lonment and appropriation bills. the
outlook is that the House will be
kept busy until well into the
summer.
Two important pieces of legisia-
ton are ready for the Senate which
resumed Monday, but the Senate is
not ready to consider any legisla-
ton and, to all appearances, it is
making no haste. The Senate COM
mittees are not yet named. One of