The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-26
Congress Hardly Likely
to Be Prolonged Be-
You'd Conventions.
Up OH TICAL AIR
GROWING TORRID
Freely Predicted That Legis-
lators Will Be Unable to Keep
Up the Pace Longer Than
Early Enthusiastically
Nothing Done With
Supply Measures.

Washington, February 25.-Political
activities are heating the atmosphere
! to such degree that 1t was freely
predicted to-day that Democratic lead
crs OF the House and Republican
leaders OF the senate soon would find
themselves agreed that Congress
could not keep UP the pace beyond
pearcd to be an accepted fact that
the session would be prolonged beyond
the Chicago and Baltimore conven-
lions.
Unless Democratic Leader Under
wood and Ills asgociatcs in the House
are willing to abandon part of their
program to bring in metal. sugar.
chemical, cotton and wooden tariff
bills night sessions soon will be neccs-
sary. for practically nothing has been
done With supply measures. The ap-
propr' ition bills will require time for
consideration, as the Democratic econ
ony scheme is directly involved.
Putting II Tn 10 IIousc.
The Republican Senate leaders be-
lievc IL the session drags out beyond
the conventions and nothing is accom-
pl!shed. that the House VIII have 10
carry the lions share of the responsi-
bility. All OF these arguments. It is
predicted. are like ely to make both
conventions.
An carly report on the metal bill.
the only one OF the House measures
that has reached the Senate. Is cx-
pcctcd from the Senate Finance Com
mitice
The Democrats have served notice
that while they arc willing to permit
hearings. they would move to dis
charge the committee IL they believed
yzt-
Pcnrose comedies the power OF the
Democrats, with the aid of insurgents,
To compel report from the committee
whenever II Is called Tor. Therefore
II Is likely that hearings on the bill
viii be closed on February 90.
Republican regulars are in the ma
jority even II Senator la Toilette
should vote with the Democrats on the
committee. Two courses arc open to
this maiority-e'ther to report the
metal bill adversely or to report n
bill Will not receive favorable re-
port. II is believed that the regular
Republicans will plant themselves up
on their old platform of waiting for
the Tariff Board and will content
themselves with an adverse report.
The plan TO reject any bill not based
upon Information gathered by the
iarlH l5oaEd VIII not apply when the
Housc sends to the Senate bills to
revise the cotton and wooden tariffs.
The Finance COMMITTEES. in the case
of these bills. would build complete
substitutes based upon the Tariff
Boards findings.
Insurgents Not Coherent.
Democrats and Republican insur-
gents of the Senate have not can
vassed the situation 10 determine II
they Will be able to unite on a tariff
program. mainly because the insur-
gents are far from being the coherent
body they were last session. The
thirteen Republicans who discounted
their colleagues of the regular fac
tons on so many occasions last session
have not had meeting since the pres
idential campaign OF Senator La Fol-
lctte was launched. Several of the
thirteen now favor non-action on tariff
measures that have not received the
attention of the Tariff Board. They
may even indorse the program to be
offered by the regular members Of the
Finance Committee.
The feeling now is that each tariff
bill Will have to be landed on it's
merits. The Democrats hope to get
enough insurgent votes TO pass the
! House metal bill to the White House
for the veto it would be certain to
meet. If the Democrats vote solidly
for the House bill 1t would require
only four Republican votes to pass It.
Some OF the Democrats. however, fear
OBJECTIONS in their own ranks.