New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-23
DEMOCRATS SEE DANGER
Their Tariff Revision Plans May
Go AWry in Congress.
FACING TROUBLE IN SENATE
Republicans Preparing to Make
Their Fight Where the
Majority Is Slight.
[From The Tribune Bureau ]


Washington, Nov 22.--The tariff plans
OF President elect Wilson and the Demo
cratic party may yet go awry because OF
| the. slender majority the Democrats will
have in the Senate in the next Congress.
| LEGISLATORS have been going over the sit
nation carefully and are convinced that
care must be taken in outlining lesis-
,ative programme II it is to be put through
the upper house.
AS the results now stand the Democrats
are certain to have forty-nine Senators
and the Republicans forty-four. Sens-
tor Sanders may pull through in Tonnes
see. and II the serious illness OF Senator
Rayner results in his death Republican
will probably be appointed in his place.
A vacancy remains in Illinois, but It Is
not probable that Governor Deneen will
fill 1t by appointment, as the senate held
that there had been no election. AS II
"a however. even a slight break In the
Democratic ranks will make their posi-
ton uncertain.
Republican Senators, who are preparing
TO make the Senate battle-ground, smile
at Mr.. Bryan's assertion that there VIII
be a free sugar bill, sufficient NUMBER
Of Democrats from Louisiana and the
beet sugar states being opposed to free
sugar 70 block tariff revision in this re
snect. There Is also serious doubt that
/ the Democrats will be able to muster
sufficient strength to pass bill slashlns
the duties on wool The fate of cotton
also hangs In the balance, some OF the
Southern Senator's being far from enthu-
siastic over cotton revision, now that
there is no fear Of Presidential veto.
IL Will require very nice adjusting TO
carry through a plan Of wholesale tariff
revision II the Progressives join with the
Republicans, which they will probably do.
Other legislative problems also VIII not
be solved merely because the Democratic
leaders desire to solve them Slight de-
fections or difficulties Of opinion Will up
set the Democratic machinery IN the up
per house. and in the lower house the
majority is so unwieldy that difficulties
are almost certain to arise.
4 legislative committee TO arrange the
Democratic programme is one method that
has been suggested TO meet the difficulties
that confront the Democrats. Even this
will require careful adjustment, as a pre-
ponderance of one or another faction on
the committee will result in friction. II
is suggested by Democratic leaders that
IL would be best 20 iron out their diff
culties in committee OF this sort rather
than run the hazard Of having open war In
their own ranks I'm the two chambers.
Whether President-elect Wilson will
submit TO this arrangement and allow
himself to be overshadowed by a commit
tee unofficial or otherwise, remains TO b.
seen. 1t is not even a certainty that the
Democratic majority OF either OF the
houses will approve OF the plan.
When Congress convenes next month
the difficulties of the Democrats will be
gin at once with the consideration Of the
joint resolution proposing an amendment
to the Constitution limiting the tenure OF
office of the President Of the United States
to a single term. This stands as the un-
finished business Of the Senate. By
unanimous consent the Senate has also
agreed to take up the Page bill providing
for cooperation with the states in en-
couraging agricultural instruction.