Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-20
Senate Leaders Will Coop
crate With House Ways
and Means Committee to
Obtain Speedy Revision.
PRESIDENT WILL BE
IN THE CONFERENCE
Wilson to Confer With the
Leaders Frequently in
Framing Measure for
Immediate Action.

Quick tariff revision along lines ac-
ceptable to the democratic leaders OF
both houses of congress was the oh
ject of conference called for today
between the ranking tariff revision
lists Of the party in the senate and the
house. The conference, marking the
completion of the tariff revision bill
In all essential particulars by the ways
:, and means committee, was designed as
move to get together on common
ground and to smooth the way for
the launching of the first democratic
tariff in many ways under policy OF
swift, harmonious action. Z
Senator Simmons of North Carolina,
chairman of the senate finance COM
mittee, and Senators Stone, Williams
and Smith of Georgia, constituted the
senate subcommittee for the confer
ence with Chairman Underwood and
some of his colleagues of the ways
and means committee, the senators 60
with the tradition incident to the
revenue originating functions of the
house.
House democrats are confident they
have framed tariff measure that
will be faithful conformance to: the
,arty platform and satisfactory gem
rally as downward revision meas
ne and that the revision in one gem
lral bill should be able to run the
gauntlet of both houses without much
soaring.
There will be democratic caucus
If the house within the first day or
two of the extra \ session but the
democratic leaders don't anticipate
any upset of. their general revision
plan
Both Houses to Cooperate.
Senator Simmons outlined to the
president today his plans for handling
the tariff bill in the senate. The sena-
tor declared that in order to deal with
the tariff expeditiously. close CO.
operation would be necessary between
members of the finance committee of
the senate and the ways and means
committee of the house.
The president will be in frequent
conference hereafter with Representa-
tive Underwood, democratic majority
leader of the house, and Senator
Simmons, upon whom will fall the
CHIEF work or drafting the bill. 1t IS
believed also that the president will
meet in conference in the near future
the democratic members of these two
con grssional committees. The entire
program will be one of close cOmmuni-
cation and simultaneous study on the
part of the committees and the presi-
dent before the extra session begins
so that the tariff may be disposed of
in as brief a period as possible, thus
ryi,, ic1
People May Vet Name Senators.
With the ratification of only three
states remaining to insure the adop-
ton of a constitutional amendment
for the direct election of senators,
speculation was heard at the capitol
today in regard to the effect of the
adoption of the amendment on the
senatorial contests in Illinois. Two
senatorial vacancies exist in Illinois
but the legislature has been dead
locked many weeks.
The consensus of opinion was that
the ratification Of the amendment by
three more states and the subsequent
proclamation by the secretary of
state that the amendment had been
adopted, would deprive the Illinois
legislature of power to elect senators.
The selection then would be made un-
der the terms Of the new amendment.
This requires that when vacancies oc-
cur such as exist in Illinois the gov
ernor of the state shall issue writs for
an election at the polls to fill such
vacancies. 1t is provided, however,
that the legislature may empower the
governor to make temporary appoint
nents until the people fill the
vacancies by election.
Senator Kern, the new chairman Of
the senate committee on privileges
and elections, was one who held this
general opinion Senator Poindexter
of Washington was another.