Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-05-23
SENATE AGAINST
TARIFF HEARINGS
Motion to Instruct Committee
Voted Down 4I to SO.
DEBATE ON FREE SUGAR
Louisiana Senators Call Wilson Free
Trader and Senator Jones Defends
His Position.

His Position.
The Penrose-LaFollette motion to
instruct the senate finance committee
to hold public hearings on the Under
wood tariff bill was defeated in the
senate by vote of Al to 36.
The Underwood bill was then re-
ferred to the committee, where 1t VIII
be considered behind closed doors.
The vote was on party lines, the
Democrats, with the exception of Sen
ators 'Ransdell and Thornton, OF Louis
lana, voting against it. Senator Pom
dexter was the only Republican who
voted with the Democrats.
Senator Ollie James, of Kentucky,
accredited with speaking for President
Wilson and the administration lead
ers, led the debate and interpreted the
Baltimore platform as committing the
Democratic party to free sugar
His speech was in reply to declara-
tions by Senator Ransdell and Sena-
tor-elect Broussard, of Louisiana, that
the platform contained no such intl-
nation, much less command. In the
gallery, listening closely, was Joseph
P. Tumulty, secretary to the presl-
dent, who went to the capitol to hear
the reply to the anti-free sugar Demo
Gratis, who for two days have been as
sailing the sugar schedule, on which
President Wilson has declared there
will be no compromise If he can help
1t.
Senator James declared that the Bal
timore platform approved the course
of the house in the last session OF con-
gress, and that it included approval OF
the Underwood free sugar bill. He read
paragraph from the Democratic
campaign text book approving the
excellent record of the house in plac-
ing sugar on the free list"
Senator Ransdell asked whether
President Wilson had not declared in
a speech at Pittsburgh that he did not
stand for free trade. Senator James
retorted that the president was not a
free trader and that the proposed BILL
calculated to raise $500, 100000 in reve'
nue., was not free trade bill.
"If you say President Wilson is a
free trader because he favors free su
gar" demanded Senator James, did
you call yourself free trader when
you voted for free bread and free
shoes?"
Senator Ransdell denied that he was
a free trader, and asked whether the
Democratic national committee had
not instructed it's orators in the west
not to discuss free sugar and also
whether the party would not have been
defeated if they had discussed 1t there
81 know the Chicago headquarters
so instructed Representative Aswell
of Louisiana" he declared.
Senator James referred to the point
made by the Louisiana men that Pres
ident Wilson and the platform had de-
clared against tariff reductions which
would injure any legitimate industry.
"By Legitimate industry in the plat
FORM" he said, "is meant industrially
legitimate and commercially leglti
mate industry. 1t does not refer to an
industry which has had 125 years OF
-0vernment aid and protection and is
-. unable to take care of itself"
James eloquently praised the presi-
dents stand and said:
"If X liam H. Taft had half the
oouragr of Woodrow Wilson he would
have vetoed the Payne-Aldrich bill and
bonfres would have been burned on
every hillside in his honor, and, in my
opinion, he would have been reelected.
president Wilson says he is in
favor of free sugar and free wool and
wants no compromise. I challenge you
to find anybody to whom Woodrow
Wilson ever said he was not in favor
of free sugar
Ransdell inquired whether James
considered the sugar business of the
south and west legitimate. Legally,
but not economically" replied the Ken
tuckian.