The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-28
FREE SUGAR CERTAIN.
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS o FSENATE
ENDORSE TARIFF BILL.
Special Interest Senators Make Hard
Fight on Free Sugar and Free Wool
but Majority of Senators are Ioyat
to Party Pledge.

haVing been approved late today by
the Democratic caucus of the senate.
after a two days fight. The sugar
schedule as reported by the majority
members of the finance committee
and practically as it passed the house
was approved by a vote of 40 to 6.
Free raw wool as submitted by the
majority, and just as 1t passed the
house, swept the senate caucus by a
vote of Al to 6.
This ratification of President Will
sons policy, he having insisted upon
the wool and sugar propositions be-
fore the ways and means committee
in the beginning, came after a long
series of developments since the tariff
bill passed the house, in which the
president was an active participant.
When the fight of the anti-free sugar
and anti-free wool Democrats was
getting hot the president issued a
public statement declaring that any
suggestion of compromise on the wool
and sugar schedule ideas was abso-
lutely out of the question and later he
stirred anti-administration leaders to
action when he made his charge
about the existence in Washington
of an 'insidious" lobby, investigation
of which has brought results regard
ed as favorable to the tariff bill.
The six Democratic senators who
voted against free sugar on the final
vote approving the schedule were
Hitchcock, Nebraska; Newlands, Ne
vada; Ransdell and Thornton, Louis
lana; Shafroth, Colorado, and Walsh
of Montana.
The six who opposed free raw wool
to the end We're Chamberlain of Ore
gon, Newlands, Nevada; Ransdell and
Thornton, Louisiana, and Shafroth
and Walsh.
No attempt was made in the caucus
today to bind the members to the ac-
tion of the caucus. The question will
come up when the entire bill has been
passed upon. Some members fought
it, but administration leaders said
tonight they believed only the two
Louisiana senators would ask to be
released from the caucus pledge il
one is submitted.
The general opinion is that a bind
ing resolution will be offered.
Approval OF the sugar schedule
came after prolonged discussion and
after amendments had been voted
down. On some of the amendments
the opposition showed more strength,
the maximum being ten votes for
Senator Shafroth's amendment to the
sugar schedule. This would have
eliminated free sugar and substituted
duty of approximately one-half cent
pound on refined sugar. This amend
ment was lost by a vote of 81 to 10,
Senators Thompson, Chamberlain,
Hitchcock, Newlands, Shafroth. Lane,
Ransdell, Thornton, Tillnoan and
Walsh voting for it.
When this had been lost Senator
Thompson of Kansas offered an
amendment to retain the Underwood
rate for three years, reducing it SO
per cent in 1916 and 25 per cent each
succeeding year until it reached the
free list Senator Chamberlain,
Fletcher. Hitchcock. Newlands Shaf-
roth, Thompson. Tillman and Walsh
supported this amendment.
The amendment offered by Senator
Thornton to eliminate the free sugar
provision and maintain the Under
wood rates indefinitely was supported
only by Senators Ransdell and Thorn
ton.
Senator Walsh offered the amend
ment to the wool schedule proposing
a duty of Is per cent ad valorem on
first class woods and that woods OF
the second and third classes. such as
carpet and clothing wool, be free.
This was defeated, 80 to z, senators
voting for it being Chamberlain. New
lands, Ransdell. Shafroth, Thompson.
Thornton and Walsh. Three senators
were absent Culberson Owen and
Lewis.
When the sugar and wool had been
disposed of the caucus ratified the
committee amendment placing hair
of the angora goat on the free list.
Consideration of the agricultural
schedule was then resumed and a
dispute at once arose over the counter
vailinE duty on wheat and flour. As
the discussion developed the opposi-
ton grew and decision OF the question
went over until tomorrow. Some DEM