The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-04-16
Senate FALLS IN LINE.
PRESIDENT AND DEMOCRATS OF
BOTH HOUSES AGREE ON
TARIFF,
Except on Minor Points Democrats
are Now United i'm Support of Bill
to Revise Tariff and Carry Out
Platform Pledges of The Party.

attitude toward President Wilson and
the new tariff bill became fairly well
confined today after another meeting
of the Democratic members Of the
hnance committee. Briefly, the SEN
ate committee will agree to accept the
view of the president and the house
as to free wool and l cent sugar, with
the Tree sugar in three years attach
ment,. but it will assert it's right to
amend other schedules and provisions
as it thinks best.
The conference with the president
yesterday brought a working agree
ment, under which both the executive
and the senate leaders have yielded
certain points. The senate Democrats
do not propose to make any general
incrase in the rates of the tariff bill
or to make the senate liable to the
charge Of having impeded the efforts
Of the president and the house toward
tariff reform.
Changes will be made in several
schedules, however, the work having
been started today with a considera-
ton Of the first schedule in the bill
Some of the changes regarded as nee
essary by the senate leaders may be
carried over to the house and put into
the bill in the Democratic caucus still
in progress there. The senate leaders
reserve the right to make changes
after the bill reaches the senate
where they consider it necessary to
make the revision what they consider
more equitable and scientific. The de-
cision to stand with the president on
the wool and sugar tariff issues has
brought the forces Of Democracy into
practical unity, it is claimed. Should
the president and the house majority
refuse to accept any changes in the
wool and sugar schedule, it is under
stood the senate committee will lend
it's support to the same programme.
The fight against free wool, how
ever, has become more acute at both
ends Of the capitol, and several State
delegations in the house are appealing
to Democratic senators for support in
the fight to retain some duty.
The Democrats caucus of the
house had received only the third
mi 90
of today's work. Representative I'm
derweod and other Democratic tariff
leaders were making no apparent eff
fort to limit debate or hasten a party
decision on the bill. This deliberate
progress has raised the hopes of the
wool and sugar interests that they
may be able to organize sufficient
strength to change the bill in the
caucus, SO that it will pass the house
with at least a small duty on wool
and without the provision to make
sugar free in 1916. This opinion is
strengthened by the attitude of the
senate Democrats. Many of them
who favor at least small wool and
sugar tariff are lending their influence
to the fight in the house in the hope
that the issue can be fought out there
and will not have to bc settled in the
senate.
Representative Underwood and his
assistants Of the ways and means COM
mittee succeeded in plotting the tariff
bill through another days debate in
the house without any change in its
rates. Many phases of the tariff were
gone into with demands for changes
in duties coming from many quar-
ters.
The greater part of the day was
devoted to work on the earthen-
ware schedule, which was finally ap-
proved after a plea from Speaker
Clark and Representative Underwood
for party harmony.
The schedule evoked a lively ex-
preston Of views. The present tariff
Is 60 per cent on most of the pot
terry and 25 per cent on cheaper
classes. The revision would reduce
the present rate of 60 to 35 and 40
per cent and the 25 per cent to 10
per cent.
Representative Whitcare from the
East Liverpool (Ohio) district plead
ed for retention of the GO per cent
tariff and declared that on an invest
ment of $6O,OOO.O 900 pottery interests
prohted barely per cent last year
When the metal schedule was taken
up Representative Webb Of North
Carolina and others tried hard to get
reduction Of the proposed rate on
card clothing, a material used on the
machinery Of textile manufacturers
The present law taxes card clothing
5S per cent and the pending bin
would make it 40 per cent. Repre-
sentative Underwood said tonight he