Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-04
INSURGENCY GIVES
PRESIDENT ALARM
Senator Hitchcock's Protest
Proves Contagious in DEM
ocratic Caucus.
Star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
WAoHINHTnN SAINT /

WASHINGTON, Sept. a.
Signs of insurgency in the Demo-
cratic Senate caucus are giving the
| President and administration leaders
not a little cause for worry. Senator
| Hitchcock's protest against caucus
rule on all details of legislation has
been contagious, and Senator Sim
mons, the chairman of the finance
committee. who has charge of the
tariff bill. went to the White House
in some alarm Immediately upon the
Presidents return yesterday. to ask
his aid in quelling the premonitory
symptoms of rebellion and insur-
gency.
There is no real basis for fear of
defeat of the Underwood bill. The
Senate will probably get to a final
vote on the measure some time next
week, and 1t is a foregone conclusion
that 1t will pass. The two Democratic
senators from Louisiana will vote
against the bill, because of its free
sugar provision. Senator Culberson,
of Texas, is still sick. and is not ex-
pected to be able to get back to vote.
There is a vacancy through the death
of Senator Johnston, of Alabama, ano
it Is not likely that Representative
Henry Clayton, who was appointed by
the governor, will be allowed to take
his seat, most senators believing that
the governor had no right to make
the appointment.
Forty-eight Votes Needed.
cratic senators, including Vice Presi-
dent Marshall, who would vote only
in case of a tie. 1t requires
forty-eight votes to make a majority
of the Senate and pass the bill. Senator
Newlands, of Nevada, who has been
out West in his own State for several
weeks sounding public sentiment
there. is known to have tendencies
toward insurgency and his vote is
considered very uncertain. If New
lands bolts, 1t would leave the Demo-
Gratis in the position of having to
count the Vice-President to show a
bare majority of Democratic votes.
This, however. would pass the bill,
and 1t is becoming more likely every
day that several minority senators
will vote with the majority ON the
final passage of the measure. The
nine Progressive and Republican SEN
ators who voted against the Payne
Aldrieh bill are faced with ti the alter tier
for the Underwood bill or for the per-
petuation of the tariff they denounced
and repudiated four years ago. Poin-
dexter. of Washington, the only out
and-out Bull Moose senator, has an
nounced his purpose of voting for
the bill. Kenyon, of Iowa, and Bris-
tow. of Kansas, have refused to say,
when challenged in the Senate, that
they intended to vote against the
pending revision. LaFollette, Cum
Minis and the other low-tariff Repub
y
can justify a vote against the Under
wood bill is by proving that 1t is a
worse measure than the Payne Aid
rich enactment. and this they do not
care to attempt to do.
Passage of Bill Seems Sure.
So the passage of the bill seems
reasonably certain. What is worry
ing the administration leaders is the
possibility of not being able to pass
the measure with a clear majority of
Democratic votes. The President and
his supporters want to avoid the
charge that his tariff program has
split his party.
And what is giving them even more
cause for apprehension is the ten
dency of a number of Democrats to
refuse to be bound by caucus on many
of the details of the bill itself. AL
though the readlnS OF the Dill mas
been fairly we'll completed. q large
number of important features Of the
measure have been laid over for fur
ther consideration, and are still to be
settled. Among these features I'M
decided are the question of prohibit
ing imports of bird feathers, upon
which the caucus has been unable to
agree; details of the income tax. and
a number of administration features
of the bill. The duty on aluminium
and other trust-controlled products
also remains to be voted upon finally.
and on several of these questions
there is a disposition on the part of
Democrats with insurgent tendencies
to break away from the caucus rule.
If this insurgency once breaks loose.
it is feared that many features of
the bill may be changed.
H. B. w.