Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-05-16

the future Of their party. and judging
from appearances they would give
much to'know today just what pros
pect there is of ultimate concord
among the Democratic senators on the
subject of the house bill.
In the senate the progressive Repub-
licans are in the main apparently fair
ly well satisfied with good many OF
the paragraphs in the Democratic tar
III bill as the house has prepared 1t.
Some Of these progressive Republic
ana who have declined to Join the Pro
gressive party, are anxious that the
two factions of Republicanism shall.
get together once more in order that
united front can be presented to the
Democratic enemy In the next cleo
ton. These. progressive Republicans.
men like Cummins, Borah and others.
are moderate tariff revisionists and 1t
is not nkely that they would stand
with the old line Republicans in oppo-
sition to those provisions of the new
bill which make only moderate cuts
in some of the schedules.
Old Timers In Doubt.
The senate Republicans of the old
school do not know whether or not to
sit back and let the tariff bill go
through without much protest II they
can get the support of the progress
sives of their party they may be will
ing to make a stand and to protest vir-
tually against every provision in the
bill, but otherwise they may elect to
allow the measure to go through with
out much debate and then trust to the
lowered rates to bring destruction to
the Democratic party"
Some time ago, even before the new
Democratic tariff bill was under dis
cussion by the house ways and means
committee, some of the high protec-
ton Republicans In the senate said
publicly that 1t would be better for
the party not to enter any vigorous
protest against the passage of the
bill, but simply to allow it to go
through with an extremely limited
amount OF opposition debate, and to
make a few speeches saying that the
bill would be disastrous - the coun-
try, and then to sit back. let the meas
ure go through land trust the result
to God and the ultimate consumer"
Now it may be that a change of
mind will come to the old line Repub-
licans. 1t is certain to come if the
progressives of their party will join
with them in a program of assault
upon all the provisions of the bill
The old line Republicans, however,
say they do not believe it would do the
future of their party any good II the
Progressives were to join with them in
their attacks on parts OF the Demo
cratic measure and to join with the
Democrats in the defense of other
parts of 1t. The high protection Re
publicans say that such a course sim
ply would accentrate the difference OF
tariff opinion In their party.
So 1t may be that the tariff bill as
framed by the Democrats will 60
through the senate without much Re
publican opposition. but it is possible
that If the Republicans find there are
enough Democrats willing to join them
in opposition to the cut in the sugar
and wool rates they may agree to en-
ter the fight even though the progress
sives of their party will not go along
with them whole-heartedly.
May Fine Absentees.
Unless the members of the new con
gress are more regular in attendance
at the sessions than were the members
of the last congress it is the intention
of the leaders to adopt rules for the
first time in the history of the govern.
ment which shall compel the presence
of members at the sessions, and com
pei" is the word the leaders are using
when they speak of the projected reg
ulation.
Bluntly, 1t is the plan to propose
and to secure the adoption of rule
under which heavy fines shall be in
fiicted on representatives In congress
who absent themselves from the legis
lative chamber without adequate ex.
cuse at times when their presence not
only is needed but it merely desirable
1t must be understood that this at
tendance matter has nothing to dc
with politics nor with parties, and In
discussing it the leaders of the three
political organizations In the house
confer together and in entire sympa
thy. They all seem to deplore the
growing habit of absenteeism. The
records of the last three congresses
are records of extraordinary difficult
ties at the times when the effort has
been to, get a quorum when impor
tant measures have been up and upon
which free discussion and a full vote
were deemed essential not only to the
good of legislation but for the good
name of the house.
Several of the leaders of the house
have called the condition deplorable
and IT is known definitely that unless
lecturing and the enforcement of o
rule requiring voting on all questions
is of avail to bring about better con
ditions, the leaders, probably through
the rules committee or In whatever
way the thing must be done. will see
to 1t that absentees are fined an
amount so large that even men who
have private incomes added to their
$500 a year from the government
cannot afford to stay in their Office
rooms or in their hotels when a decent