The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-06-05
FIGHTS IN SECRET
DEMOCRAT SENATE CAUCUS ON
TARIFF MEASURE BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS.
RoBs DEBATE OF INTEREST
Only Two or Three Senators OF Ruling
Party Will Voice Their Objections
In Public--Material Changes VIII
Be Few.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Wasbington.--If the Democratic eau
Gus in the senate, held for the purpose
| Of discussing the tariff bill and OF
binding the members to support IT as
party measure, we're not heid De
hind closed doors the country prop
ably would be given the details OF
the most interesting incident connect
| ed with the present tarih debate IN
the senate The Democrats. for what
they say are adequate reasons, have
declined to follow the example whicn
the Progressives and later the Re
publicans set by holding open eau
cuses.
1t is very likely that the only
thing really exciting In connection
with the tariff debate is the Demo
cratic caucus In the senate, for wheh
the bill gets to the floor it virtually
will be assured OF united Democratic
support, except for that OF two or
three senators made temporarily
aliens to their party by sugar anu
wool. In the caucus room when the
doors are closed the various members
say what is in their hearts against
different schedules OF the bill and thus
one could get, IL he could hear. a
perfect line on individual Democratic
upper house opinions on the subject
of measure which nearly all the
Democratic senators will support on
a final vote.
II there were several Senator Dol
livers in the present 'enate interest
might hold its own in the coming tar
iff debate even If It Is the third or
fourth one OF recent history. Dolll-
yer is dead. however, and there is no
man Just like him on either side OF
the senate's center aisle today. MI,
Penrose. the Rep ,Jlican leader, VIII
offer amendment after amendment 10
the Democratic measure and these
Will call for lengthy debate, because
| there is no way Of shutting 1t on, but
| the give and take on most OF the
/ things which the Pennsylvania will
offer almost unquestionably will be
! found to be in words identical with
those used on former occasions.
II They Said What They Thought.
What would make the debate In the
! senate really exciting would follow the
granting OF permission by the party
| leaders to every Democratic senator
to say openly just what he feels like
saying about the different schedules
of this bill to which the president OF
the United States has given his sane
ton and over the passage of which
he holds party authority. The two
Louisiana senators can be depended
upon to say some things not entirely
sweet about sugar, and 1t is probable
thai John Sharp Williams. whose
tongue is keener than his middle
name, will add some pointed words
about what he considers the inequall-
ties OF the bill which mis- Alabama
friend has sent over coupled with a
iously.
Certain dispatches recently had it
chat Senator owen Of Oklahoma in
tended TO introduce a resolution TO
amend the senate rules so that de-
bate could be shut off at any time, as
1t Ia possible to do In the house of
representatives. II Is not likely, 1t Is
said, that the Oklahoman could com
nand ten votes from either or both
parties on such proposition.
Few Material Changes Likely.
In the Democratic caucus, the walls
of the room having no ears. the sena.
tors say what they please about the
bill. 1t Is known to every person
who has had opportunity to get sena.
torial opinions on the measure that If
each Democratic senator could have
his way in the matter the bill on it's
passage would look so little like the
bill on its introduction that Mr. I'm
derwood would pass It by unrecog
| nized. The measure probably how
ever will undergo no material altera
! tons
Some changes will be made in the
! bill by the finance committee Of the
senate, but If those which already
have been suggested are a sample o
those yet to be made 1t can be sale
that the measure from the low tariff
mans point of view will be helped
rather than injured by the changing
process. President Wilson has beer
asked about some Of the change
which it IL proposed by the financ
committee to make and he has agreed
Fitness the Test for Office.
Democratic senators and Representa-
tives by force of an intimation whic
amounts to an order from Presiden
Wilson are undertaking the Diogene
task with something added They ar
, trying to find men to recommend 10
Office who are not only honest but fl
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