The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-05-23
LETTER ON FREE
SUGAR STARTS
! ROW IN SENATE
Louisiana Democrat, Aided by Republi.
cans, Reads Lansing Mans Views.
Lewis G. Rowley, Michigan Demo
crat, Asks If Free Trade is to
Take the Place on Party Gonfalon
Where Once Was Inscribed "Free
Silver"

y
iginal Wilson man" from Michigan
with fluent pen for an oracle, the anti
free Sugar Democrats led by Senator
R8nsdell of Louisiana, assailed the I'm.
derwood sugar schedule in the senate
today. despite strenuous efforts of Sen
ator Simmons and other Democrats. to
stop the flow Of the attack. Republi.
cans enjoyed the efforts of the Demo
cratic leaders to prevent the reading of
a long letter submitted by Senator
Ransdell, written by Lewis c. Rowley
of Lansing, in which free sugar advo.
Gates were characterized as 'accursed,
objectionable apostles of Democratic
faith, and the free sugar schedule as
"a boomerang to knock out the Demo.
cratic party"
With Republican votes, Senator Rams.
dell was aided in getting the long epis.
tie before the senate as part of the
argument against the proposed sugar
tariff.
|. 1t precipitated lively discussion be.
tween the Louisianian and Senators
James, Myers, Simmons and other Dem.
ocratic leaders.
In his plea from Michigan, President
Wilson's attitude on sugar, the party
platform pledges and the Presidents
campaign pledges not to hurt any light.
innate industry, were recalled, the writ.
er declaring there is almost imminent
danger that in his almost hilarious en-
thusiasm for the Democratic ideals, the
President wi TRY to do too much"
The Democrats also were forced TO
hear from this same trenchant Michi.
gan protestant that 'tho statesman or
party. leader who in formulating i'm,
portant legislative measures, does not
take into consideration the psycbologi-
cal effects as we'll as the ultimate prac-
tical results of those measures, is raw
hand at the business"
He said he did not believe President
Wilson was "that kind of an immature
leader"
Il refuse to believe" he continued,
that the President will commit the
party to radical courses, which-how-
ever sound heoretically-are calculated
to alarm and ALLEVIATE large numbers of
voters in many of the most populous ag,
ricultural sections of the country.
Republicans spplauded when the sen.
ate clerk read, us free trade to be in
scribed as the party gonfalon, which
erstwhile bore the immortal watchword
of free silver?" and again when the
admonition was sounded that the Dem
ocratic party "better effect changes
moderately and safely, rather than
hastily and at the dictates of caucus
too many of whose members leave their
private judgments ana consciences
where Mussulman leaves his shoe-out.
side the door,"
Senator Penrose later injected levity
into the proceedings when Senator Sim
mons, on behalf of the finance commit
tee, tried to get an agreement for a vote
on the question Of public hearings on
the Underwood bill. The Pennsylvania
senator empbatically denied he had any
idea of conducting filibuster on the
issue. He had asked for public hear
ings, he said, because he conscientiously
believed they should be held, and he
felt sure that the senator from North
Carolina lad not entertained any idea
that he eyer had captained any legisla-
tive piratical craft.
While Senator Simmons was endeav-
ing to fix time for vote, the time for
the consideration of the matter expired
and again it went over until tomorrow,
when the Democrats will endeavor to
bring the reference of the bill and the
Republican public hearings amendment
to vote.
Senator James asked Senator Rams
dell If he did not think that the plat.
form of the Democratic party gave fair
warning to Louisiana sugar men. Mr..
Rsnsdell emphatically answered NO
and the Kentucky senator then proceed
ed to read from the platform endorsing
what the party did last year and de
manding reductions to reduce the cost
Of living.
In this connection the Louisiana SEN
ator referred to q statement in the Row
ley letter which said: Neither in his
campaign for the Democratic nomina-
ton nor for his election did Mr.. Wilson
pledge himself to give the country free