The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-15
HARMONY WITH A
BIG H" IN THE
HOUSE
Democratic congressman En-
terrain Dove of Peace
HURRY up RECIPROCITY
Propose to Rush Measure Through
Before Opposition Wakes Up
Playing to the Farmers
UP RECIPROCITY

Washington April 13.-The democ-
racy of the House continues to sur
prise a listening and expectant coun-
try and itself no less by the unanim-
ity and horse sense with which it has
thus far conducted the business Of the
session. Naturally the majority con-
tains here and there kicker but
nothing has as yet developed which
forecasts anything but most salts
factory degree OF harmony in the fu-
ture. The democrats themselves fear
that it is too good to be true for any
length of time, but the dove Of peace
now roosts contentedly above their
council table and seems to enjoy his
quarters. This does not apply to dem
ocratic conditions in the Senate, far
from it, but that even one body is not
rent by civil war is a sufficient mar
rel.
With almost unparalleled sagacity
and political ingenuity the House
Democrats have concocted we'll laid
plans to discomfit the republican pro-
gressives OF the senate and all other
Influences there which are threaten
ing to do all kinds of things to the
reciprocity measure by the adoption
of a plan of procedure which is calcu-
lated by them to put the anti-reciproc-
ity senators in dark, deep hole.
Their scheme, as developed at their
caucus Tuesday evening is TO hurry
reciprocity through the House, and
to Immediately follow it by the enact
ment of bill removing the duties
entirely from some over hundred
articles of everyday use and necessity
by the farmers to compensate them
for whatever they may suffer from
the reduction or removal of duties
from their own products. \ small
minority of the democratic caucus
wanted to attach this measure to the
reciprocity bill but the majority de-
cided to let the one Immediately fol
| low the other.
This proposition, which is probably
the best and only thing the House
| democrats can do to stem the tide of
opposition to reciprocity in the senate
Is a particularly delicate one, never
| theless. Possibly those senators in
both parties who are opposed to the
presidents bill will insist on consider
ing and disposing of it on its individu-
al merits, regardless of what alleviat-
ing dose is promised to come after
The scheme of promising a boy candy
if he will be good and take his sui
phur and molasses is not always sue
cessful AS a matter of fact and from
the standpoint of the House majority
the proposition rs a fair and honest
one, but just how it will be received
by the senate is not yet apparent. II
the senate adopted the proposed
House bill which will be designed to
offset what the farmers stand to lose
by reciprocity, it would very likely
accomplish that purpose Possibly II
will incidentally accomplish much
more and contain items which protec-
tionists of all shades in the senate
will protest. Then and there may
come trouble.
Under these circumstances the dem,
ocratic scheme, while theoretically
fair in designing to bridge the difficult
. ty, will be found to be exceedingly
difficult in execution. The supple
mentary free trade bill may go toe
far; it may not go far enough, and
lots of things may happen to it, The
senate will be exceeding wary and
suspicious, and its ability to discern
lockers" to say nothing Of its propen
sity to do so, is something mar
vellous. Often it can see the fly Oh
the barn door, when it can't see the
: door nor even the barn. Just now
the two houses of congress are i'm
m cg1raa nlv uncvfafortp ~ a,.b .tI,,,
with great and continually increas
ing suspicion, and all attempts of the
House to secure a senate majority fol
any of its propositions are rather
more than likely to fail.
After reciprocity and the blanket
free trade act, the democratic pro
gram contemplates the revision Of the
cotton and wooden schedules. A eau
Gus will be held later to agree or
some approximate rate of decrease OF
pairing down of the rates on the goods
embraced in these schedules, there
now being very much difference OF op
inion among the democrats as to just
how much reduction can be made
This is especially true as to the wool
J en- schedule, The majority realizes
that this is going to be q very deli
cate-not to say angerous-subject
to tackle. The general opinion seems
to be, as far as there is any express
ed, that an ad valorum duty of per-
haps one-half the appraised value
might be imposed. This would tend
to equalize rates on all classes of
wool, and would do away with the ex.
cesses and inequalities now claimed
under the present law. This in itself
would be q good thing, but there are
many democrats, even, who believe
that anything like fifty per cent
duty on the appraised value-in other
words a lowering Of the duties to one.
half the appraisal-would operate to
absolutely kill the wool producing in.
dustry in the United States. On the
other hand, republicans will be found
who will hold that such a PROPOSE.
ton is about right In any event big
trouble is coming over any scheme to
revise the schedule. The attempt to
deal with the cotton goods tariff will
likewise breed much emphatic differ
ence of opinion.
1t is likely that the reciprocity
measure and possibly the blanket free
! 40