The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-05-17
mo PUBLIC
HEARINGS
Penrose-La Toilette Amend
ment for Public Hear
ings Is Defeated
DEFENSE OF FREE
SUGAR PLANK
Senator James Says Demo-
cratic Platform De-
manded 1t

Washington, May 1.-THE Democrati
leaders in the Senate yesterday were sus
tanned in their determination to refer tn
Underwood tariff bill to the finance com
mittee for consideration without givinl
public hearings.
Senators Penrose and La Toilette, wht
+, tried to secure an amendment directing
public hearings to be held, We're defeat
ed by vote of Al to SO.
| The motion of Senator Simmons tt
refer the bill was then passed without a
roll-call.
There was a lively discussion OF the
Democratic platform and its bearing on
free sugar. Senator James, credited
with speaking for President Wilson and
the administration, interpreted the Bal
timore platform in speech as COM
uniting the president and the Democratic
party to free sugar. His remarks were
in reply to the declarations by Senator
Ransdell and Senator-elect Broussard OF
Louisiana that it did not.
In the gallery, listening closely, was
Joseph p. Tumulty, secretary TO the
president, who went to the capital to
hear the reply to the anti-free sugar
Democrats, who for two days have been
assailing the sugar schedule which Pres
ident Wilson has declared will not be
compromised If he can help it.
Senator James said that the platform
adopted at the Baltimore convention APP
proved the course of the Democratic
House in the last session of Congress
and that it included approval of the
Underwood free sugar bill. He read
paragraph from the Democratic cam
paign text book approving the excellent
record of the House, in placing sugar on
the free list.
Senator Ransdell asked il President
Wilson did not declare in speech at
Pittsburg that he did not stand for free
trade
Senator James returned that the pres
ident was not free trader and that
the proposed bill calculated to raise
in revenue was not free
trade bill.
''Do you say President Wilson is a free
trader because he fayors free SUGAR. :"
demanded Senator James. did you call
yourself free trader when you voted
for free bread and free shoes :"
Senator Ransdell denied he was a free
trader and asked if the Democratic ma
tional committee had not instructed its
orators in the West not to discuss free
sugar, and also, if the party would not
have been defeated If they had dis
,ussed it there.
81 know the Chicago headquarters so !
Representative Answell of |
louisiana" he said.
Mr.. James referred to the point made |
by the Louisiana leader that President |
Wilson and the platform had declared
against tariff reductions which would /
njure any legitimate industry.
by legitimate industry in the plat
orm," said the Kentucky senator, sis
meant industrially legitimate and com
nercally Legitimate industry. 1t does
Tot refer to an industry which had
lad one hundred and twenty-five years
4 government aid and protection and is
'et unable to take care of itself"
Mr. james expressed the opinion that
President Taft had vetoed the Payne
Ildrich bill he would have been re-
lected
Senator Smoot predicted that the Dem
Gratis would be out of power for another
uarter of century as result of their
ariff legislation.
Senator La Toilette urged the Demo-
rats to court the open door policy.