Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-06-20
FIGHTS IN SECRET
DEMOCRAT SENATE CAUCUS ON
TARIFF MEASURE BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS.
RoBS DEBATE OF INTEREST
oniy Two or Three Senators Of Ruling
Party VIII Voice Their Objections
In PubIIe-MateriaI Changes viii
BE Few.
Dr. eEoReE cLINToN.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-If the Democratic eau
Gus in the senate, held for the purpose
of discussing the tariff bill and Of
binding the members to support II as
a party measure, were not held be-
hind closed doors the country prob
ably would be given the details OF
the most interesting incident connect
ed with the present tariff debate in
the senate. The Democrats, for what
they say are adequate reasons, have
declined to follow the example which
the Progressives and later the Re-
publicans set by holding open eau
cuses
It is very likely that the only
thing really exciting in connection
with the tariff debate is the Demo
cratic caucus In the senate, for when
the bill gets to the floor it virtually
will be assured of united Democratic
support, except for that of two or
three senators made temporarily
aliens to their party by sugar and
wool In the caucus room when the
doors are closed the various members
say what Is in their hearts against
different schedules of the bill and thus
one could get, IL he could hear, a
perfect line on individual Democratic
upper house opinions on the subject
of a measure which nearly all the
/ Democratic senators will support on
final vote
If there were several Senator Dol
| livers in the present senate interest
might hold it's own in the coming tar
| in debate even If 1t is the third or
! fourth one of recent history. Dolli-
yer is dead. however, and there is no
man just like him on either side of
| the senate's center aisle today. Mr..
Penrose, the Republican leader, will
offer amendment after amendment to
the Democratic measure and these
will call for lengthy debate, because
there is no way of shutting it OF, but
the give and take" on most of the
things which the Pennsylvania will
offer almost unquestionably will be
| found to be in words identical with
those used on former occasions.
If They Said What They Thought.
What would make the debate in the
senate really exciting would follow the
granting of permission by the party
leaders to every Democratic senator
to say openly just what he feels like
saying about the different schedules
of this bill to which the president OF
the United States has given his sane
ton and over the passage of which
he holds party authority The two
Louisiana senators can be depended
upon to say some things not entirely
sweet about sugar. and 1t is probable
that John Sharp Williams. whose
tongue is keener than his middle
name, will add some pointed words
about what he considers the inequali
ties of the bill which his Alabama
friend has sent over coupled with /
request to put it through expedi
tiously.
Certain dispatches recently had i
that Senator owen of Oklahoma in
tended to introduce a resolution Il
amend the senate rules so that dc
bate could be shut off at any time. a
it is possible to do in the house O
representatives. It is not likely, it
said, that the OkIahoman could CON
mand ten votes from either or bot
parties on such proposition.
Few Material Changes Likely.
In the Democratic caucus, the wall
of the room having no ears, the sens
tors say what they please about tn
bill. 1t is known to every perso
who has had opportunity to get seni
torial opinions on the measure that
each Democratic senator could hav
his way in the matter the bin on II
passage would look so little lil@a tn
l bill on its introduction that Mr.. II
. derwood would pass it by unreco,
: ni9ed. The measure probably, how
1 ever, will undergo no material alteri
j, tions.
!. Some changes will be made in tn
: bill by the finance committee of til
J. senate, but II those which alread
have been suggested are sample
those yet to be made it can be sal
that the measure from the low tart
mans point of view will be helpe
rather than injured by the changir
process President Wilson has bee
:, asked about some of the changt
. which it is proposed by the finant
I committee to make and he has agree
Fitness the Test for Office.
Democratic senators and represent
n tives by force of an intimation viii.
a amounts to an order from Preside
= Wilson are undertaking the Diogen
y task with something added. They a
trying to find men to recommend f
office who are not only honest but (
Bird Courts of Justice.