Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-14
SENATOR AS LEADER IN TARIFF
FIGHT FOR DEMOCRATS VERY
MUCH IN LiMELIehT.
MUST BEAR sRuNT OF
CONTEST IN UPPER HOUSE
May Be Rewarded by Final Measure
Bearing Name az Part Of Title-sim.
mons Had to Fight Way to Present
Position-oppossd by Bryan and
Wilson and Not Administration Man.
Especial Correspondence


the finance committee, director Of the
destinies of the tariff bill In the senate.
has been much in the public eye in the
! last two months, since the tariff meas
ure was sent to the senate from the
house. For the next six weeks or two
months, Senator Simmons will be still
more conspicuous. for the reason that
the real battle over the tariff measure
in the senate is just ready to begin.
1t win open with the debate on the
senate floor and at least six weeks are
expected to be consumed before vote
is taken. Then will come the wrangle
in conference leading up to final adop-
ton of the conference report and en-
actment of the new tariff measure.
Will Bear Brunt Of Attack.
In all these proceedings, Senator
Simmons will be at the forefront. AS
head of the finance committee he Will
have to direct the democratic manage
ment Of the bill and the defense against
the republican attacks. In the past two
months, in the business of having the
subcommittee revise the house sched-
ules, having the majority side Of the
finance committee receive the reports
of the subcommittee and shape them
up. getting the bill endorsed by the
caucus and getting 1t reported to the
senate, Senator Simmons has been
nightly occupied but he will be kept
still buster while the bill Is being as
sailed on the floor and while the house
conferees are endeavoring to prevent
many Of the changes in the house bill
which the senate Will make.
Bill Not Vet Named.
AS the reward for all this effort, the
bill may go down In history as the
Underwood Simmons bill: and then
again 1t may not. It may be known
simply as the Underwood bill. Some
folks are bent on calling 1t the WILSON,
Underwood bill. in recognition OF the
fact the president has taken so large q
share In handling It. So 1t may fall out
that Senator Simmons will have his
trouble for his pains. and that any
hopes that his name will be craven IN
history on the title Of a tariff law will
be blasted.
A lot Of complaint is heard about
lack Of democratic leadership in the
senate. The fact that the senate demo-
Gratis have taken a whole, two months
to get the bill revamped and reported to
Gratis would like to lay the blame for
delay in enacting the tariff measure
on the republicans but they can not well
do it in the face OF this showing. In
committee and caucus the bill has
dragged its slow length along.
Not Administration Man.
However, Senator Simmons Is not to
blame for. this. He Is doing the best
he can under difficult circumstances.
In the first place. he got into the chair
manship OF the finance committee only
after q fight. Tho Bryan men and the
administration didn't want him. At one
time, they thought they had him beaten
for the Job. But Simmons. tho . Little
man physically, with an insigndncans
stature, Is no SLOUGH Of q scrapper and
has undoubted ability both az poll
tician and In his capacity to get along
with folks. He managed to get the
finance committee chatrmanship. Then.
he had to prove that he intended In
good faith to live up to the Baltimore
platform. He succeeded in proving this
so well to the president that he has
been able to extract some good Jobs for
his political henchmen in North Caro-
lima, particularly the coIlectorship OF
revenue for his lieutenant, A. D. Watts.
Watts was given q fat and juicy politi-
cal plum despite the fact Josephus
Daniels was trying his best to grab
the plum aforesaid for another and
enemies of Simmons in North Carolina
were crying ont that Simmons and
Watts were twin reactionaries and 1t
was out Of the question for an ad-
administration labelling itself progress
sive, to do a thing for them. All this
while, Simmons has had to seek to
lreconcile the clashing and conflicting
democratic elements in the upper house
on tariff, an almost impossible task In
; itself OF course, the influence Of the
pres:asn: has gone far in this effort tho
Simmons has been an important factor.
Chickens Home to Roost.
TO make his endeavors the more
| troublesome. Simmons opponents insist
Oh barking back always and everlast-
ihgly to that vote for Lorimer and these
evangelistic efforts in 1909 as one OF the
lapostles Of the sacred cause of duties
on lumber. Simmons is trying to live
these things down but his enemies re-
fuse to let the past be yelled.
Under all the circumstances, 1t Is
! Job filled with tribulations. this thing OF
trying to engineer tariff bill thru the
senate. The Hon. F. NJ Simmons is not
Napoleon but he is doing reasonably
well under conditions that would try
the patience Of Job or any Of the sane
tifed