The Washington herald., 1913-04-17
RAW WOOL FREE;
CAUCUS DECIDES
FOR PRESIDENT
Ways and Means Committee
Bill Is Sustained by the
House Democrats.
OPPOSITION Is FUTILE
Charge Is Denied that Mr.. Wilson
Is Using Patronage
\ Club.
By JOSEPH p. AMIN.

By JOSEPH p. AMIN.
The House majority administered ar
effective quietus to the final bump ct
concerted opposition within its ranks to
the Underwood tariff bill. By a vote OF
179 to AZ, the wool men were ironed on;
by the steam roller. guided by Chairman
Underwood, of the Ways and Means
Committee, and lent impetus by the sup
port of the administration. Yesterday s
futile opposition to free wool, rendered
even weaker than expected by Under
woods second appeal to the caucus 10
stand by the administration and the
committee, marks the end of concerted
opposition to the bill The wool men
have gone the way of the cotton, sugar,
and meat men.
The test yesterday. following extended
debate, came on an amendment proposed
by Representative Dies of Texas, seeking
TO place a duty of Is per cent upon raw
wool. The debate waXed warm, and
Representative Alexander OF Missouri,
who is not famed in the House for politi-
cal utterances spoke right out in meet
ing, and by indirection accused the
President of Withholding Congressional
patronage in order TO club members into
line on the tariff bill. Representative
mated less directly that the President
was mixing up too much with the leGis-
lasive end of the government.
Charge Is Unwnrranted.
To those who know Mr. Wilson or take
the trouble to study his way of doing
things, nothing could be less warranted
than a charge of this nature. Mr.. Will
son thinks in a straight line. When
he
fines his mental operations to that
problem insofar as possible, deviatinS
only to consider questions of immediate
Importance. He has the tariff tansle to
straighten out now. The filling of sew
eral thousand fourth-class postmaster
ships is neither pressing nor vital lie
will fill these and other Congressional
patronage posts when he gets around to
IL. This was his course in New Jersey.
1t is the logical, common sense way OF
doing the thing.
In connection with Mr.. AIeXander's
charges, it is interesting to note that
for 29S postoffices where vacancies now
eSist-not where terms have expired ana
holdovers still remain in office, but
where no postmaster actually eXists-the
Postoffice Department has the names or
less than ninety properly Endorsed candl-
dates This is notwithstanding the eff
the candidates the Endorsement of their
Congressman.
Chairman Underwood gave another DEM
onstration yesterday of the close bond OF
cooperation between the Ways and
Means Committee and the White House
in this tariff fight. Answering Alexander,
he declared that the President had made
but two suggestions as TO changes IN The
bill, and that in no way had the Presi-
cd n DNPrcteD
prerogatives in dealing with
proposed legislation.
'Out of 1000 items in this BILL said
[ Underwood President Wilson has made
with regard to only two. III
you vote TO put duty on wool the heac-
lines in every Republican newspaper in
the country tomorrow morning will say:
Breach in the Democratic party. You
will also create an issue that will divide
the party in every Congressional district
in the country
Mr. JTnderWood's remarks were taken
TO mean that the President personally
had urged changes in the sugar and wool
duties but whether the Ways and Means
had favored a tax on wool he
did not indicate.
The President has a legislative posi-
ton here" said Mr.. Underwood, and ne
has a perfect right to suggest changes in
individual items in this bill"
Representatives Montague of Virginia
and Curley of Massachusetts warmly de-
Tended the President. They asserted
that il was his constitutional right to
advise and consult with Congress in re-
lation to pending legislation.
Cannot President Taft's lack of sue
cess be traced to his failure to take a |
hand in Congressional legislation asked
Curley.
No Rates Are Changed.
Attempts to change rates in the cotton |
schedule met with uniform failure. Rep |
resentative Ten Eyck of New York asked |
FOR an increase on collars and cuffs from |
3 to 40 per cent, but his motion was |
voted down. On a second motion to in |
-rease the duties from % to - IL per |
cent he was beaten by a vote of IS to q. /
Representative Goulden of New York /
attempted to secure an increase on cotton |
gloves from 40 to 80 per cent. On mo- |
ion by Representative Fowler of Illinois, |
10 effect a reduction in hosiery averag-
ing about 10 per cent, the vote was 40 to
3 aginst the Fowler plan.
Representative Wingo of Arkansas
moved to put both cotton gloves and
hosiery on the free list, but was over
defeated by 80 to 8.
The jute schedule was agreed to with
out change, except that the committee
to consider a per cent in
.rease in the duties on jute bagging.
The chances are that the caucus will
1nish consideration of the bill Saturday
night 1t probably will come up for de-
bate in the House next week. The
chances are that the House will pass
the measure early in May. By that
line it is the general expectation that
he Senate Democrats will be brought
INTO line and the measure passed at an
,arly date by the upper branch.