Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-10
Executive Believes That by
Intimate Debate With
Senate Finance Commit
tee He Can Do More.
VISITS OFFICE
IN THE CAPITOL.
Possible That He May Con-
sent to Treating Tariff by
Schedule Instead of Sim
gle Bill as Planned First.


dent Wilson went into conference
promptly at o'clock today with the
ten members of the senate finance
committee in the presidents room at
the capitol. Accompanied by Secre'
tary Tumulty and secret service men,
the president motored from the white
house to the capitol in few minutes
He wore gray sack suit and brown
fedora hat, contrast from his formal
appearance yesterday when he read
his message to congress. The presi'
dent shook hands with the senator's
the big doors swung closed and they
sat down to discuss the tariff.
Although it had been unoff1cially an
nounced before President Wilson took
office that he expected to 90 to the
presidents room at the capitol at fire.
quent intervals to be in close touch
with congress, the news that he would
make the first visit today, following so
closely on the notable scene of yester.
day when the president read his mes.
sage personally to joint assembly in
the hall of the house, set Official circles
by the ears.
s Meeting This Afternoon. 4
The president sent tvword early tUday
by Secretary Tumulty to the members
of the finance committee that he
would like to meet them at 3 o'clock
The pivot of tariff reform, 1t is gener.
ally recognized will be the senate
where the democratic margin is small
and where opposition to certain
change already 10 apparent. When Mr..
Wilson last discussed with the senate
democrats of the finance committee
the method of tariff reform, they
argued as unit for splitting the bill
into separate schedules, assuring him
that wider attention would be focused
on each schedule and that agreements
among senator's might be eliminated.
Mr.. Wilson is anxious that unanimity
of opinion should prevail between the
two houses and has declared that the
arguments advanced by both sides are
good.
The presidents first tendency, and
in this he was counseled by Repre-
sentative Oscar Underwood, the demo
cratic majority leader, was to favor q
single measure, but since the main
features Of the bill became known
tion from senator's who oppose free
wool and the removal of all duty on
sugar in three years. "@1
Can Make Better Progress.
The president is said to feel that
more progress can be made by a visit
to the capitol where he can confer with
the democratic members of the senate
finance committee and the latter can
quickly get in touch with senator's re-
luctant to favor the bill at present.
Mr.. Wilson firmly believes in intimate
debate In matters of legislation, not
only as time saver, but as a means
of averting misunderstanding that
might come by having the administra-
tion's news transmitted indirectly.
The presidents conception of that
method of securing legislation Is that
as leader of the party that elected him
he can be counselor and adviser.
While he never has suggested that the
executive in either the state or the ma
tion should actually interfere in the
process Of legislation, he always has
that the voice Of the party
leaders should be heard In party coun-
ellis. IT,
Intimations have come from the
white house that the president If de-
feated in the present session on the
issue OF tariff reform will 60 before the
people of those states whose represen-
tatives in both houses of congress
have thwarted the party progress and
appeal In the primaries for the selec-
ton of what he believes to be progress.
sive candidates. r-..s
Has Many Engagements.
\ The president had busy schedule
of engagements, however, before his
departure for the capitol. Beginning
at 9 o'clock when he devoted an hour
to his correspondence he saw a series
of callers at five minute intervals un-
til 1 o'clock, among them many mem
bers Of congress. At 2:20 he was to
greet in the east room more than 500
school teachers, also Bishop Collins
Denny Of Richmond, Va, class mate,
and Bishop E. E. Hoss Of Nashville,
Tenn. of the Methodist federation
commission in session here and Robert
8. Hyer, president Of the Southern
Methodist university.
The president expected to leave the
white house at 2:30, devoting the re-
mainder of the afternoon II necessary
4. oonfororao ~ hn rj%n1