Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-03-27
THAT 10 DEMOCRATIC PLAN ron
HANDLING ALL MATTERS OF
NATIONAL MOMENT.
"THE WATCH ON THE SENATE"
BY This Method Attention VIII Ds
csntsrsd on the Upper House While
u Considers Such Things % the
Tarlff.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

oeeh gwen TO the Democratic leaders
by the administration that It seems
desirable. from party efficiency
standpoint, to undertake no legislation
al the extra session except that relat-
ing to the tariff. If present plans of
the national Democracy are carried to
their logical end it seems that all leg
islative matters of great national mo-
mens Will be considered by congress
singly.
Tnere are reasons for the present
planning OF the Democrats concerning
the manner Of handling the larger leg
isiative problems. 1t is apparent that
the president, and the leaders with
MIN, do not wish to have the country's
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
tarih be taken. The house will con.
slider tariff legislation, will pass the
the senate. Now II the house. after 1t
gets through with the taTiff. should
take'up some other piece Of national
legislation the countrys attention
would be divided between the subject
under discussion In the house ana 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 bills. II the present plan
is carried out. 1t will do nothing ex.
cept meet often enough to keep within
the laws requirements. and so the
country can watch the senate and
thereby remind 1t that It's tariff tinker.
Ing is under the public eye and that
nothing which should not be" would
be allowed to go upchallenged
II the present plan of the Democrat
ic leaders shall be made to apply to
the future It will not mean necessarily
that the house, after completing a big
piece of legislation and sending 1t oyer
to the senate. woald 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 is do.
ing duty on some matter generally ac-
counted OF greater Importance.
Now Definitely Placed.
It is possible now to give def
nitely for the first time the names
of members of the next house Of
representatives who will stand In op.
position to extreme conservatism.
whether II manifests itself In the
Democratic or In the Republican
party.
The ranks of progressivism outside
Of the Democratic party fell under sew
eral designations. One man Is writ
ten down politically as an lndepen-
dent; other men call themselves Pro
gressive-Republicans; other combine
the party names of Washington and
Republican,; others call themselves
straight Washington party men, and
the others are Progressives with q
capital p.
There are forty-seven members who
fall into one or the othe- OF these
classes. According to the list of mem.
ters-elect OF the next house which was
prepared by the house officials. there
will be 144 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 q few
Of them speak Of themselves as Repub-
licans. Those of them who keen the
party name invariably put the hyphep
nnd the word progressive before II.
So II Is that from this total number Dr.
Republicans written into the present
congressional directory Ms such, there
must be suOtracted forty-seven. a mum.
ber which represents the strength of
the contingent which either to great
degree or entirely has separated II.
self from republicanism as II has been
understood In the past.
The next house Of representatives
therefore will stand Democrats. POI:
Republicans. 81; Progressives. pro
essive-Republicans and Washington
rarty men. a. Total. 435
Opponents Of Conservatism.
Here 10 list Of the members OF tile
parties. and factions which can be
said to stand In opposition to conser.
satism Of the old kind and In support
OF real pr,grsssive measures as they
view them. no matter in what party
they have their names written: