Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-17
WILSON ATTACKED
IN TARIFF WAR
Accused of Exceeding Lawful
Limitations in Forcing
Through New Measure.
CHARGED WITH THREAT OF
WITHDRAWING PATRONAGE
Wool and Sugar Questions Set
tied, Free List Most lmpor-
tant Problem Ahead.

WASHINGTON, April 17.--Presl-
dent Wilson was accused in the
Democratic House caucus yesterday
of resorting to coercion to force his
legislative colleagues to support the
Underwood tariff bill. The charge
was made in an indirect way that
the President had threatened to with
hold patronage from members who
failed to support the administration
tariff program and to go into the
districts of such members as had
the temerity to oppose actively the
Underwood bill.
Those who made the charges en-
ployed polite terms and addressed
their remarks to Chairman Under
wood and the other Democratic mem
hers OF the ways and means commit
tee. Everybody understood, however,
that the attack was made on Presi-
dent Wilson.
The trouble yesterday was over
the wool schedule and the debate dis
closed that many Democrats are ex-
ceedingly bitter over President Will
sons participation in the framing of
the tariff bill and his insistence that
the measure should admit both raw
wool and sugar without the payment
of duty.
Free Wool Accepted.
When all was said the caucus
voted on the free raw wool provision
advocated by President Wilson and
adopted ii by vote of 100 to AZ.
The fight on the free wool pro-
vision was started by Representative
Dies. who had the support of some of
his colleagues from Texas. and mem
bers from Ohio and other wool pro-
ducing States.
Representative Alexander of Mis-
scuri. who comes from an agricul-
tural district. said it was common
gossip in the capital that Democrats
who withheld support from the tariff
bill would be punished by the admin
isrration.
Mr. Alexander said he had been told
the President would use the patron
age club on some members who failed
to stand by the tariff bill and that
in cases of others. If he thought it
necessary he would go into their dis
tricts and urge their constituents to
keep them on the retired list.
Mr.. Alexander's Sarcasm.
IF these things are true we might
1ust as well let the President make
the whole bill and go home to attend
to our gardening" observed Mr. Alex
ander. IF these things are true the
President is exceeding his constitu-
tional limitations by interfering with
the prerogatiyes of the House"
The Democratic House resumed, CON
sideration of the tariff here today
with every prospect of rapid COM
pletion of the measure and its pres
entation TO the House early next
week. With the fight over free wool
and free sugar settled, the free list
and administrative provisions remain
cd as important issues ahead.
Representative Harrison, of Missis-
sippi, a member of the new foreign
affairs committee, and others are
planning a fight against the provision
TO permit a discount of per cent.
on all duties imposed on goods inn
ported in vessels built i'm the United
states and wholly the property of
United States citizens. They contend
that amounts to a ship subsidy and
that it is contrary to the spirit of
5Ofn6 TREATIES.
First Tariff Cited.
There is but one tariff bill that
ever before carried such provision"
declared Mr.. Harrison today, land
that was the first tariff passed in
1883 as retaliation against similar
acts of other countries. Thomas JEFF
ferson advocated it for no other rea-
son than that. The provision was
changed in all subsequent tariff acts.
If such proviso is retained, it will
cause every foreign country with
which we have commercial treaties
about thirty of sthem-to either serve
notice of abrogation upon us or to
retaliate by increasing their duties
on the imports from, or exports to the
United States,
The caucus took up the remainder