The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-04-04
sy GEORGE CLINTON.


desirable. from party efficiency
standpoint. 10 undertake no legislation
AZ the extra session except that relat-
Ing 70 the tariff II present plans OF
the national Democracy are carried to
their logical end II seems that all leg
islative matters OF great national mo-
ment viii be considered by congress
slngIy.
There are reasons for the present
planning OF the Democrats concerning
the manner OF handling the larger leg
islatiye problems. II 10 apparent that
the president, and the leaders with
him, do not wish to have the countrys
attention divided between the two
houses OF congress when vitality impor.
tant matters are up for consideration
Some one has called this plan the
watch ON the senate"
In order TO explain clearly just what
the plan Involves. let the subject OF the
tariff be taken. The house will con
slider tariff legislation, will pass the
bills and then will send them oyer'to
the senate, Now II the house, after II
gets through with the tariff, should
take up some other piece OF national
legislation the countrys attention
would be divided between the subject
under discussion In the house and the
tariff discussion In the senate. This is
exactly what Mr. Wilson and those
Democratic leaders who are staunchly
supporting him wish to avoid
To Focus Eyes on Senate.
AS soon as the house gets through
with the tariff biils. II the present plan
II carried out, II viii do nothing ex.
cept meet often enough 10 keep within
the laws requirements. and 40 the
country can watchN the senate and
thereby remind II that its tarlff tinker.
ing IL under the public eye and that
nothing (which should nor be" would
be allowed 10 go unchallenged.
II the present plan Of the Democrat
ic leaders shall be made to apply TO
the future II will not mean necessarily
that the house, after completing big
piece OF legislation and sending II over
10 the senate, would simply mark time
while the upper house was giving the
legislation consideration. There are
appropriation bills and minor bills OF
various kinds which the house can de
bate and pass while the senate IL do
Ing duty on some matter generally nc.
counted OF greater Importance.
The point 10 that the Democrats
want 10 succeed In their adminlstra-
lion and. II the truth must be told.
some Of them are afraid OF the senate
They want the senate 10 do as well as
the house does and to put through the
Democratic legislation proposed by
Mr. Wilson without any amendments
OF Importance. They think that this
can be accomplished II public atten.
tton is focused ON the senate. and II
the Democratic senators generally are
made TO know that they are expected
70 live up 70 the spirit and 10 the let
ter OF the platform Of their party
Now Definitely Placed.
1t is possible now to give def.
niteIy for the first time the names
OF members or the next house OF
representatives who will stand In OPP
position To extreme conservatism,
whether Il manifests Itself IN the
Democratic or In the Republican
party.
There has been cloud OF doubt
over the positions. which some OF the
men elected TO the lower house Of
the Sixty.third congress intended to
occupy There is respectable min
ority OF members outside OF the Demo.
cratic party who can be depended up.
on 10 uphold advanced policies OF Mr.
Wilson they do not go too far into the
radical field. and also to take posi-.
ton OF opposition to high tariff pro.
nouncements or extremely conserva-
tive legislative pronpuncements ON
any subjects made by the conserva.
tIves OF any party.
The ranks OF progressivism outside
OF the Democratic party fell under sew.
eral designations One man is writ
ten down politically as an indepen.
dent: other men call themselves Pro
gressive Republicans; other combine
the party names OF Washington and
Republican; others cali themselves
straight Washington party men. and
the others are Progressiyes with a.
capital P.
Forty-seven Are Proaressives.
There are forty-seyen members who
fall into one or the other OF these
classes According to the list Of mem
ters-elect o. the next house which was
prepared by the house officials. there
win be i44 Republicans IN attendance
All OF the men who appear In the list
which Is to follow are classed by the
Democratic authorities as members OF
the Republican party. but only few
Of them speak OF themselves as Repub-
lieans. Those of them who keep the
party name Invariably put the hyphen
and the word progressive before IL.
So il is that from this total number OF
Republicans written into the present
congressional directory as such, there
must be subtracted forty-seyen, mum
Der which represents the strength OF
A.. -.