The Washington times., 1913-04-13
UNDERWOOD WINS
! IN FIGHT ON SUGAR
Majority Leader Carries 0ppo-
sition Before Him in Plea to
Support President.


ifi
Nc Congressman Oscar W. Underwood
> majority leader of the House. is given
q credit today for saving the sugar
,- schedule of the new tariff bill. With
80 one Of the most telling pleas ever heard
in party caucus. Mr.. Underwood pre-
n vented late yesterday the adoption Of
: :. An amendment emasculating one of the
M principal schedules in the bill and put
3 ting sugar on the free list
Bal Until Mr.. Underwood took the floor
the cause of the free sugar" enthusi-
asts seemed in the ascendancy The
b majority leader turned the tide by de-
es claring that the free listing of sugar
rrTould be direct slap by the caucus at
.Rhe President of the United States. who
had caused to be written into the tariff
pill Is per cent duty with the proviso
.t should be free after three years
n The Alabamian did not mince words,
Il and the Democrats rallied around him
II when he asked them to present unit
II "a front and stand by the schedule as
|. desired by the White House. Members
4 who had a few minutes before an
Il nounced their intention of voting for
II immediate free sugar reconsidered their
\ earlier plans and decided TO support the
\ President and the Ways and Means
\ Committee.
l The Reason.
Congressman Underwood told the eau
l Gus that the Democratic members of
the Ways and Means Committee per-
| sonally favored free sugar bill. such
! Is was put through the House last year
| The President. however. had given his
tuDDOrf fo cpr1DroraiSa na, ,ap.
| reduction now and free sugar in three
years.
When Mr. Underwood had made a
personal plea that the House Demo-
cracy stand behind the Chief Executive,
the cries of ''vote" we're followed by
victory for the wilson-made rates. The
caucus, on sober second thought. voted
Ter the rates in the BILL. defeating the
Hardwick amendment for immediate
free sugar
The rejection of this schedule means
a direct slap at the President of the
United States.'' declared Mr. Under
wooo. IN substance. Il submit to the
caucus the question of whether it wants
TO take such STEP
Mr.. Underwood explained that the !
ways and Means Committee had origin
ally voted unanimously for free sugar.
The President, he added, favored the
substitute plan. and it had been writ
ten into the bill The issue confronting
the caucus was:
VIII you support the President and
the Ways and Means Committee or
VIII you overthrow their plan of re- |
vision?
Urges Harmony.
The Democratic leader asserted that
above all things should be the desire !
Of party harmony, which was depend |
ent largely upon approval of the bill |
an drawn. Admitting that Democrats
might be embarrassed in defending
dutiable sugar now, after their -espousaI |
OF free sugar a year ago, Mr.. Under |
wood reminded the rank and file tia. |
The majority leader would bear the |
hrunt of criticism for the legislative
somersault. He was willing TO bear it.
effectively asserted Mr.. Underwood. for
-the sake of party harmony and the
saving of the Presidents feelings.
The caucus then voted 10 10 20 for
the rates as carried in the tariff bill.
The fact that MIR. Underwood pleaded |
with his colleagues not to rebuff the
President was perhaps more effective
than il the ma jority leader had asked |
merely the upholding of the Ways and |
Means Committee, for the latter at
heart was not in favor of dutiab!e
rank and file.
The defeat of the Hardwick amend
ment for immediate free sugar presages
the approval of the committees plan
for free raw wool, to which the Presi-
dent Is likewise committed.
Smooth Waters.
The committee bill now has compara-
lively smooth sailing, following its safe
passage through the sugar fight. Mr..
Underwood. however, is given credit of
winning the victory of yesterday, for
until he spoke the free sugar members
appeared 70 have the better grip on the
situation
1T was impossible for the caucus to
resist the force of the Underwood argu-
ment in favor of the President and the
who switched 10 the Underwood side at
the last moment.
Prior to the final vote on the Hard
wick amendment, the caucus voted
down successive amendments offered by
Broussard of Louisiana. ,
who sought TO eliminate the provision
that sugar shall be free after three
years, and who also proposed higher
rates than those carried in the commit
tee bill
Following the sugar fight, which
waged fiercely all afternoon, the caucus
adopted without change the sugar
tobaccoe. Debate on the agricultural
schedule, with its long free list, will
begin Monday afternoon at 1:30 O'Clock.
The Democratic caucus probably will |
extend into Wednesday,
|