Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-24
IN FEAR Of SENATE
DEMOCRATS ANXIOUS REGARD
ING ATTITUDE OF PARTY SEN
ATORS TO TARIFF.
SEE TROUBLE IN SOME ITEMS
Sugar, Wool and Lumber Schedules
Likely to Meet Opposition-Other
Important Legislation Which Must
Command Attention.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-There is still keen
anxiety among the Democratic leaders
lest minority of the Democrats in
the senate may make up their minds
to fight against the adoption of certain
of the provisions which the house will
| make as a part of the party's great
tariff program. There is still a dan
ger, it is said in other dispatches, that
a minority of the Democrats joining
the Republicans and progressive Re
publicans may change parts of the
tariff bill so radically that the house
may refuse to accept the senate's
findings in the cases in point This
will mean a long controversy in the
conference between the two houses
and it may possibly lead to compro-
misses of which President Wilson may
fail to approve.
This does not mean that Mr.. Wilson
would veto the tariff legislation but it
means, if it should come about, that
he may urge with all his power the
necessity of following the spirit of the
Democratic platform and may take a
personal hand in the conference as he
has in the committee rooms already,
and insist that pledges shall be full
filled as he thinks the members of his
party at large believe they should be
fulfilled
One Democratic senator said the
other day that sugar was always sweet
excepting that when it entered into
the tariff cup and then it became in
stantly exceedingly bitter. There are
other things besides sugar which may
cause trouble in the senate. Wool and
lumber have not yet passed safely the
stage of troubling. There have been
several tariff sessions in the last few
years and in every one of them these
three articles have been causes for
bitterness Of feeling, long drawn out
debates, personalities which some
times have been almost offensive, and
rows and ructions" generally. The
party in power admits that it will look
with much more complacency on life
when new tariff legislation is on the
statute books approved by congress
and by the president. and waiting ap-
prevail by the people.
Other Work Ahead
There are other things besides tariff
which soon must occupy the attention
of the Democrats, and a few of them
are occupying their attention today
Here are the principal things which
the party in power hopes to put into
legislative form before the congress
now in session ends its life in March
1916:
Tariff revision
Currency reform.
Revision of the Sherman law
budget system to make easier the
consideration of the Appropriation bills
and legislation which will make for ef-
f1ciency and economy in the govern
ment's departmental service.
Philippine independence.
Panama canal legislation again in
volving the question of free toll for
coastwise ships
Legislation looking to food proven
ton.
Conservation with a leaning toward
control by the states.
Revision of the rules of the house,
but revision of kind which will not
make it appear that the dominant
party wishes to restore a one man
rule.
Legislation for the compensation of
federal employees who are injured or
who suffer from occupational diseases
in the course of their employment.
legislation which in another form will
cover employees engaged in interstate
commerce.
This is recognized by the Democrats
as a most ambitious program and COM
paratively few of them apparently
think that all the things here set down
can be accomplished within the life of
one congress. Some of the leaders say
that if any three of the greater things
are done and find acceptance with the
country, the Sixty-fourth congress,
like the present one, will be found to
be we'll within the control of the Dem
ocratic party.
Old Line Senators at Sea.
President Wilson and the Democrats |
in official life in Washington generally |
are not the only ones in the capital |
deeply interested in the outcome Of
tariff legislation in the upper house |
at this extra session 1t is perfectly |
apparent that the old line Republican |
leaders Of the senate are on the I'M
certain seat They do not know |
whether to become active fighters
against the Democratic bill or to |
remain as non-combatants Naturally |
they are looking to the future and to |
the future of their party, and judging
from appearances they would give |
much to know today just what pros
pect there is of ultimate concord |
among the Democratic senators on the |
subject of the house bill.
In the senate the progressive Repub-
licans are in the main apparently fair
Iy we'll satisfied with good many of
the paragraphs in the Democratic tar
If bill as the house has prepared it.
Some of these progressive Republic
ans who have declined to join the Pro-
gressive party, are anxious that the
two factions of Republicanism shall
get together once more in order that |
a united front can be presented to the |
Push of Life.
One OF the most remarkable eyhihi.
tons of plant force l ever saw was in
n ait,