The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-11

| ernment, and will stand as credit to The
party who had the good fortune to en-
act it.
The Senate now has the tariff bill.
| Opinion is divided as to what the delb-
| erations of that body will result in. or.
| as to the length of time 1t will consume
| in its deliberations. Estimates of time
| the Senate will take in passing the bill
vary from six weeks to four months:
predictions as to changes vary from none
| at all to a complete restoration of the
Payne duties on the wool and sugar
| schedules, and a material advance of tie
rates on cotton manufactures 1t is de-
! clared that enemies of the bil-the nat
ura enemies-the republicans, aided by
| a few democrats who will not openly OPP
pose the measure, viii resort to the
wearing OUT process of delay, but the
more sanguine declare that a way will
| be found to overcome this attempt to
block the progress of the bill, and thar
| it will go through the Senate with as
much speed as is possible under the pe-
cular parliamentary rules of that body.
In the meantime the President is su-
premely confident of the passage of the
| bill with little changes in the Senate. 1t
| Is believed in close administrat ton circles
that the President has the situation In
the Senate. with its slender majority of
six. as well in hand as he had 1t in the
House where his party has a majority of
over $50. 1t is said that he has reduced
the proposition to a counting of noses,
and has absolute knowledge of what the
result must be-.
If Louisiana Fails
In well informed circles it is said that
the Louisiana senator's if they fail In
amending the sugar schedule, will vote
against the bill on a final roll call Pro-
vided all the remaining democrats stand
firm, and no progressive republican joins
the democrats. and all are present the
vote on the final passage would then be
i9 in favor of the bill and AZ against it.
With this bare majority of two in tile
Senate, where every member of that body
is now being besieged by scores of lob
byists. and business men from every sec
ton of the country, using every per-
suasive argument at their command
made eloquent by genuine fear as they
see the wall of protection which has stood
for years between them and outside COM
petition crumbling to the ground, it would
seem an almost superhuman power to he
able to forecast the result.
The unshaken confidence of the Pres
ident of the United States. therefore, in
the unimpaired passage of the tariff
measure through the Senate, cannot be
alone inspired by his faith in the slender
democratic majority, or by mere confer
enceS Wltn tne ledueTS lie must nave 4
firmer foundation for his absolutely cock
sure belief that the Underwood bill will
come to the White House for his sigma
ture practically as it stands on its adcp-
ton by the House. There can be but one
solution-and that is the President mus.
have individual promises from major
ity in the Senate that they will vote for
the bill, and will vote down all amend
ments materially affecting its provisions.
Seems Almost Incredible
It seems almost incredible that this can
be true. Two months ago a prediction
that a tariff bill providing for free sugar
in three years, and free wool, and carry
ing the rates fixed on other schedules
as fixed in the Underwood bill could pass
the Senate without being shot to pieces
would have been hooted at and the man
making such a statement would have
been considered a fit subject for the hug
house, and so confident has been the be-
lief of many that such thing was i'm
possible that it has been only recently
that the genuine cry of alarm has been
sounded. The wool interests, the sugar
interests. the cotton manufacturers in
terests have been resting content with
,nly perfunctory fight in the House