The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-05-20
II May Amend Tariff Bill With
out Opposition.
CAN'T MAKE BIG CHANGES.
Chairman Underwood of the House
Committee Says Upper Body Must
Not Convert the. Measure to Some-
thing "Un-Demoeratic" - President
Will Watch Work,
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.


BILE latitude in amending the tariff bill
without provoking much opposition by
those who drafted the measure. ''The
senate has a right to its say as well as
But If they undertake to make the bill
un-D Democratic we will go to the coun.
try before we will submit There may
be changes which the senate will find
necessary and which we will agree to
when they are pointed out. There are
some classifcations that pay need
changing, but there will be NO radical
changes accepted by the house"
Sugar and Wool.
Whether Underwood means that no
duty shall be placed upon sugar and
wool is not stated, but he. no doubt,
will regard tariff on those articles as
radical changes from the bill as it
passed the house. At least President
Wilson will so consider them, and
there is no doubt that the majority of
the Democrats in the house will agree
with him.
"Those sugar and wool fellows may
make us some trouble" remarked one
of the shrewd Democratic members,
'but there is an indication that they
will go into Democratic caucus and
do lot Of talking, put up a very strong
fight and finally consent to being tied
up to caucus decision in favor Of free
wool and free sugar as provided in the
Underwood bill. Some of them are
willing to be throttled in caucus"
That furnishes a way out. Let the
caucus decide and the Democrats who
represent wool and sugar states can
stand with their party.
Naming the Committees.
Democratic members of the house
: have been keeping in close touch with
: Chairman Underwood of the ways and
means committee, particularly those
, who have no assurance Of good COM
! mittee assignments. They also inter
| view Champ Clark, for the speaker is
. not without influence, although he does
i, not name the committees.
| All the big chairmanships have been
I provided for as we'll as the best places
on the most important committees
These go by rank and promotion. The
pressure for positions comes from the
new members, who want something
better than a nonworking committee.
"They won't be satisfied with g
toothpick," said Congressman Shackle
ford of Missouri. "They don't want tc
@ be handed a toothpick and told to sc
S into the cloalzrooms and pick theil
r teeth and come out and vote when the
S roll is called"
a A Tariff Uncertainty.
: Those Democratic senators who arr
= against free wool and free sugar have
It an uncertainty to meet in the attitude
y of several Republican and Progressive
q senators. There are several of thest
= who think that the products in thei
:, states have been so hard hit in th
y Underwood bill that they will not hell
d the sugar and wool men unless the.
1t get something in return.
T. And so the Democrats who ar
e standing out may find that after the,
q have counted noses on their side ant
- can change the schedules with all tn
" Republican and Progressive votes the
" will be unable to secure all those vote
e. in favor of duty on wool and sugar.
i Would Improve the House.
y Quite a number of women were looh
,e :. ing over the house one day after at
# journment. After looking at them
Iy moment Congressman Fitzgerald c
or New York remarked: 81 don't knoN
Of but what it would improve the look
N of the house if twenty-five or thirt
ID good looking women would come her
u i, as members. 1t might create som
- rivalry If there was selection {
as seats"
ne Chandler Rings the Bell.
is Congressman Chandler, Progressiv
h of New York city made a hit the fir
n day of the session by the sense of HI
III NOR he displayed. When he made h
tariff speech he scored again for IL
, very same reason.
N' 81 know little about the tariff"
ry began; "but, strange to say, though
~ modest and retiring man, l have su
81 fered no embarrassment whatev,
at from any private conversation on Il
I'D subject l have had with other mel
'r- bers. My excuse for speaking at
to upon the tariff is the justification
he Colonel Ingersoll for discussing II
We mortality of the soul. He said tn
az where nobody knew everybody had
right to guess.
"Now, after listening to tariff d
cussions for weeks, have some We
49, positive convictions, with few reserv
al tions. / know perfectly well the Del
on ocrats are wrong. l also know perfet
rd ly we'll that the Republicans a
les wrong, and at times l have serio
he doubts about the Progressives."
he With such a start as that Chandl
as, had the attention of the house, al
aS 90 with bits OF humor and earnest vol
,ss he made good impression.