The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-02
Caucus Of Democratic
Senators Decides by
Large Majority.
HOUSE CAN ALSO
TAKE BACK STAND
Senator Simmons Hopes for Final
Action in Upper Branch to Be
Taken To-Day-Six Sena-
tors Vote in Caucus Against
Bill-Pomerene Wants
Arguments.
Especial to The Timcs-Dispatch. ]

Washington. october There will
be no cotton futures legislation in the
| Democratic tariff bill. After practi-
cally an all-day discussion. this de-
cisiou was reached in Democratic
| senatorial caucus.
| BY vote of SO to G. the caucus
| agreed to stand by the conference re-
| port on the tariff bill. With respect
| to the Clarke amendment. taxing cot
ton futures, the caucus decided that
the Senate should reccdc from it's
amendment and disagree to the House
| amendment This obviates the neces-
sity of another conference
Each nrnnch Cnn Reccdc.
The House can recede from its
| amendment which took tho shape OF
the Smith Lever substitute. and that
! will have the effect of eliminating the
whole subject of the proposed tax from
tho bill.
AS soon as the House is notified OF
the action of the Senate. it can recede.
and the bill at once start on its way
to the White House. Senator Sim
mons tonight said he hoped TO secure
! final action in tho Senate before ad-
| journment tomorrow.
Six Against Approval.
The six Senator's who voted against
approving the conference report were:
O'Gorman. of New York: Hughes or
Reed, of Missouri: Pomerene, of Ohio,
and Hollis. OF New Hampshire.
The caucus petition was signed by
I ten Senators as follows:
Reed. O'Gorman Shafroth. Myers,
Salisbury. owen. Hollis. Hitchcock,
/ Pomerene and MARITIME It was the
subject of comment that the entire
membership Of the Committee on Bank
ing and Currency signed this caucus
petition. the only outsiders being My
ers. Salisbury and MARITIME.
Find Way to Handle Protest.
Chairman Kern, of the caucus. did
not decide that he could call 1t under
| this petition until after the Senate
| tariff conferees held n hurried meeting
to determine how the threatened re-
volt should best be met 1t was 1c-
termined that caucus should be
called and let Senators discuss their
views behind closed doors, rather than
permit the attacks that were in prep
aration to be made the floor OF the
Senate. The first caucus met in the
morning, but conclusion was
reached on any subject because of
want of time. At its conclusion. Sena-
tor Reed. who headed the movement
said:
I'VE are simply insisting that the
/ Senate shall have sufficient time to
/ familiarize itself with the conference
report on the tariff bill Many things
We're put in and taken out of the bill
by the conference committee. and we
| demand the right to become very fa-
miliar with the scope Of the measure
| 1t is the same attitude that we take
toward currency legislation"
Simmons Plays for Time.
| The attitude of these Democrats and
| the threat of number of Republi-
| cans. including Pcnrose and LaFol-
lette. that they would attempt to send
| the conference report back to con-
ference compelled Chairman Simmons
| to play for time When the Senate
| convened and tho conference report
| was messaged over from the House
Mr.. Simmons asked that it lie on the
| table temporarily This was done, and
| after the transaction OF routine bust
ness, the Senate adjourned until to-
morrow at noon.
| The caucus resumed at 3 and sat
until I tonight. The discussion was
! general. Senator Reed attacked the
| report chiefly for two reasons. He op-
| posed the exemption in the income tax
to the shares of municipalities incomes
of public utilities because OF an amend
ment inserted in conference This
! change limited these exemptions to
such municipal contracts as were en-
| tered into before the bill became IL law
and made no provision for the future.
Kansas City is preparing 10 construct
Il subway after the New York plan
and her share OF the income would not
! be exempt. Mr. Reed was bitter in his
oenunciatlon of the action of the con-
! fereeS in not taking care OF other cities
while including New York.
Mr.. Reed also vehemently denounced
the compromise agreed TO on copper
wire and wire rope which, he declared
| had been written in such shape as to
give the telegraph and telephone com
| Ianies their wires at 4 nominal duty
while assessing II double rate on wire
cables used In the West. and especially
| in the Missouri mines.
Smith liz Sarcastic.
| Senator Marcus Smith OF Arizona. re-
marked sarcasticaily that Senators
were quibbling and splitting hairs.
This brought Senator Vardaman to
his feet with a protest He asserted 1T
was the individual right OF any Sena-
tor to criticize what a committee had
done. and those who were hgbting tho
conference report were conducting
| themselves within their rights.
"Thc Committee on Finance Is only
! tho mouthpiece OF the Senate" said
| Senator Reed. Tho Senate can over
| rule if it will 1t is not beyond crit
! icism. If that be the reason, make the
most OF it,
| Senator Hughes. taking up the Ques-
ton, said the House provided rate
| of 80 per cent on ordinary copper wire
| and IL per cent on copper cables used
| by the telegraph and telephone com
| panies He rewrote this paragraph in
the committee. Mr.. Hughes pointed
out. to save the American manufac-
turers. especially those in Now Jersey.
from having their raw material taxed
L