Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-05-15
PROGRESS|vES TO
HARRY DEMOCRATS
IN TARIFF f DEBATE
Reason and Common Sense Will
Be Employed BY Senators In
Discussion of Pending
Measure.
MARGIN IS VERY CLOSE
Three Cornered Fight Promises
to Develop Interesting Cir
cumstances - Final Vote
May Come In August.
BY JOHN sNuRE.

Washington, May 1o.-It is already
clear that the tariff discussion in the
Senate, which will be the real battle
over the tariff bill will take on much
broader proportions than the memoir
able discussion of 1909 when the
Payne Aldrich measure was up tor
passage.
In 1909, Just as in 1918. the House
discussion of the tariff was perfume
tory. 1t was discussion purely for
home consumption. Members talked
to get their speeches into the record
and thus be enabled to frank them out
to their constituents. The Underwood
bill was completely shaped in the sec
ret democratic caucus before it went
to the House and everybody knew
there was no prospect of changing 1t
except as Leader Underwood and the
ways and means committee said II
should be changed.
Prosressives in the Fray.
But in the Senate the situation is
different. The democratic leaders will
try to commit a majority of the dem
ocrats to the bill in secret caucus
and so insure its passage without
change from the form in which the
caucus adopts 1T. 1t is not unlikely
they will succeed.
At the same time. the margin be
tween the supporters and the critics
of the bill in the Senate will be so
close that the efforts of the opponents
hopeless Some amendments will he
put forward by progressive republic
ans which it will be extremely difficult
for the democrats To avoid adopting.
Factors to Be Considered.
The closeness of the situation i'm the
Senate, the insistence of the president
on the bill, the fear of most Of the
democrats to Disregard the wishes of
the White House the opposition of
.standpat republicans to any tariff re
auctions, the contention Of the pro-
gressive republicans that the Under
VIC od- Simmons bill goes too far down
ward just as the Payne -Aldrich bill
made the duties too high, and the in
.creasing efforts Of protected interests
to influence the Senate action on the
bill-all these point to battle royal
5n the upper house.
This time all elements Will be rep
resented in the fighting. For that
reason. unless signs fail, the country
may expect great tariff debate. Much
less bourbonism will be preached than
there used to be when the standpat
republicans controlled everything.
More reason and common sense will
be heard
Among the progressive republicans
Borah, Cumnins. La Toilette, Bristow.
Ilapp. NOrr1S. crawford. SterllnR.
Kenyon and Works will be conspicn-
GUS. Senator PoindeXter will present
the bull moose view.
Democrats who will be more or less
constantly in the debates are Sim
mons. John Sharp Williams, Hoke
Smith, Stone. Thomas. of Colorado and
Ollie James, all member of the finance
committee. Though newcomer in
the Senate. Senator James has had the
advantage of recent service on the
ways and means committee. This gives
him an acquaintance with details that
will prove valuable to the democrats
I'm defending the bill Hoke Smith
promises to be a source of much
strength to the democratic side in this
fight John Sharp Williams will be
likewise. He is probably the most
deeply read man on the tariff among
she democrats.
OF the republican old guard. Sinoot.
Lodge. Penrose. Gallinger and Nc
Cumber will be much at the front.
Senator Root will take leading part
as Il high tariff man. Senator Burton.
of Ohio, will likewise. Senator Town
send. of Michigan. who is Il moderate
protectionist. though not a progress
ave republican. will have much to say.
With almost no exception, unless it
he Uncle Ike" Stephenson. each of
the 90 senators will participate more or
Tess i'm the controversy. which some of
the leaders say will last until the
sniddle of August.