The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-17
DEMOCRATS VOTE
FOR FREE WOOL
HOUSE CAUCUS TURNS DOWN
AMENDMENT FOR FIFTEEN
PER CENT DUTY.
LOYAL TO PRESIDENT
MEMBERS BY OVERWHELMING
MAJORITY, 100 TO ~, GO ON
RECORD WHEN QUESTION
rs RAISED.

WASHINGTON. April 16.-Presi-
dent Wilson was accused in the Demo-
cratic house caucus today of resort
ing to coercion to force his legisla-
tive colleagues to support the Tn
derwood tariff bill, In an indirect way
the charge was made that the presi-
dent had threatened to withhold pa
tronage from members who failed to
support tho administration tarim pro-
gram, and TO go into the districts of
such members as had the temerity
actively to oppose the Underwood
bill.
Those who made the charges en-
ployed polite terms. and addressed
their remarks 10 Chairman Underwood
and the other DemOcl attic members OF
the ways and means committee.
Everybody understood. however, that
the attack was made on President
Wilson
The, trouble today was over the
wool schedule, and the debate dis
closed that many Democrats are ex-
ceedtngly bitter over President VIII
sons participation in the framing of
the tariff bill. and his tnsistence that
the measure should admit both raw
of duty.
Vote For Free Wool
When all was said the caucus voted
on the free raw wool provision advo-
Gated by President Wilson, and
adopted lt--190 to AZ. The vote IVES
taken on an amendment offered by
Representative Dies, of Texas. propos-
ing a rate of 5 per cent, ad Yalorem,
on raw wool.
The overwhelmi vote for free
wool, made plain that the Democrats
supported the proposal In loyalty TO
the administration
The fight on the free wool provision
was started by Representative Dies,
who had the support of some of his
colleagues from Texas. members from
Ohio, and other wool producing States.
Having In mind President Wilson $
conference with Chairman Underwood
on the tariff. Mr.. Dies reminded the
caucus that there were three co-ordi-
nate branches of the government, each
supposedly independent. and each in
trusted with certain duties 10 per-
form.
Establishing Precedent
The house, he said. was authorized
to originate tariff bills. He strongly
intimated that in this instance the
house leaders had shared their con-
stitutional responsibility with the exc
cutiye, and as a result a precedent had
been established that might prove dam
mention the president by name. or
title, but the import of his remarks
was not lost on the caucus.
Representative Alexander. OF Mis-
souri,, who comes from an agricultural
district. spoke more TO the point. He
declared that ii was common gossip
in the capital that Democrats who
withheld support from the tariff bill
would be punished by the administra-
| ton.
He Defends President
Mr.. Alexander charged members OF
the ways and means committee with
responsibility for circulating the re-
port as to the attitude of the presi-
dent, and he intimated that this had
been done to the end that opponents
of certain features of the tariff bill
might be driven into line.
Representative Underwood made a
speech which he defended the bin.
and he urged all members of the party
to stand by the measure as 1t had been
approved by the administration. He
said that the bill represented a fair
compromise, that II was in the main
( equitable to all interests concerned
and that in his opinion it would be
approved by the country MIR. Under
wood was wildly applauded, and when
he had concluded, the advocates OF
dutiable wool knew that they were
beaten.
The chances are that the caucus will
finish consideration of the bill Sat
urday night.