The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-08-01
WASHINGTON.
L Legislative and Gem
eraI Topics from
the Capital.
Washington. D. c.. Tuly 2S. 1q1

w dSlllilSt Oll' ~ -, July %O' 4Il s.
The tariff fight is now on the floor OF
the United States Senate. Backed by
enough Democrats to assure its passage,
the bill, it is expected will be finally rat
flied by the Senate before September I.
AS was expected, the Republicans are
making a number of vigorous speeches
against the measure. They are fighting
II from every angle. but it does not APP
pear as though their arguments have had
much influence on the public mind OF the
nation. The investigation OF the lobby
has shown what prominent part 1t has
played in the drafting and passage OF vital
and important legislation at past sessions
of Congress The arguments that are
beng made against the bill by the Re-
puhlicans are being ably lefuted by the
Democrats. They have shown the alb
surdities of the old Republican protec-
ton system and have pointed out the
many advantages that will be derived by
the people OF the country by the passage
Of the new tariff bill. The bill was
amended in the Senate in number OF
respects, but these amendments will be
satisfactory to the House and as soon as
the measure is finally passed by the Sen.
ate, the House, under the leadership OF
Representative Oscar w. Underwood,
will concur in them. The House Of Rep
resentatives is now working on the Dem
ocratlc currency bill and. as soon as it is
ready, it is thought that it will be passed
by the House and then sent to the Senate,
to be taken up Immediately after the pas
sage of the tariff bill Both these meas.
ures have the unqualified endorsement Of
President Wilson and his administration
and as soon as thev are passed by the
House they will be approved by him
President Wilson has received further
assurances from leaders in Congress that
his program OF currency reform will re-
Ceive favorable action at this session.
These assurances have been made in the
face of a sharp split among Democrats
Of the House Banking and Currency
Committee and in spite also of the desire
of many Democrats in the Senate TO delay
currency action until the December SEES
sion.
Rapid progress has been made on the
tariff bill in the Senate, and the President
and his Congressional advisers have been
encouraged at the prospect of its passage
much earlier than had been expected
Republican Senators, defeated at every
turn in their efforts TO amend the bill,
have given way on much of their pro-
posed opposition and the Democrats
propose to push the revised bill promptly
during the coming week
While the Democrats of the House
Currency Committee have found it nm
possible to agree on the Glass Owen cur
rency bill, the House leaders and Presi-
dent Wilson believe the measure can be
L., I 1T,
Gus if it be necessary TO adopt that course
The President has been comforting with
the insurgents" one by one and has OBJ
tanned their views and ascertained the
strength of their opposition.
The Oregon, on which Secretary of the
Navy Daniels plans to confer the honor
of being the first battleship to go through
the Panama Canal. is now in Puget
Sound, getting the finishing touches on
her 81 900. 900 modernzation treatment
She is being fitted with every convenience
| and improvement including new mill
tary mast and a system of fire control, a
wireless telegraph OUTFIT and a number OF
improved labor saving devices. She will,
when she goes through the canal, still
look pretty much as she did III 1898, with
her low freeboard. but inside she will be
as new ship as the giant super dread
naught OF New York. whose keel was laid
in 1912 and which now is being rushed
along to completion at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard.
Strong representations. the most dras-
| tic in phraseologv that have been made
since the present American Administra-
| ton came into power, were made TO the
| Huerta government of Mexico.
The United States government demand
| ed not only the prompt arrest, court mar
tIal and punishment of the Mexican Fed
eral soldiers who shot Charles B. Dixon,
an American immigration official at Tua-
rez, Mexico. Saturday. but the immediate
release of Charles Bissell and Bernard
Mcdonald, mining engineers, imprisoned
| by Federal soldiers at Chihuahua CITY,
and said to be Threatened with execution
Dixon, the wounded United States Off
| cial. was released from the Juarez hos
pial and taken TO FL Paso, after Ameri-
! can Consul T. d Edwards had made a
| demand for his release and for the arrest
OF the men who shot him. SO serious are
| the instances of outrages on Americans
regarded in official circles here that they
overshadowed largely the theoretical con-
| siderat0ns OF policy which the visit OF
Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson had
brought to climax.
The Huerta adherents here are alarmed
| over the public sentiment which mani
tested itself through the press at the ar
rest and shooting of Dixon, and they tel
egraphed President Huerta to take steps
Immediately to liberate Blssell and Nc
| Donald and to cause the arrest of the
| "a, IL ,hr haf
Ambassador Wilson himself was so
| exercised over the developments in Mex
leo that he dictated two strong kilograms.
one to the embassy at Mexico City and
the other 10 the American consul at Jua-
rez, and, while Secretary Bryan slightly
modified their tone. they were approved
and promptly dispatched.