Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-01-22

1
cratic brethren do not yield and show
a willingness to confirm Mr. Taft's
appointments there will be Republic
an opposition of Mr. Wilson's APP
po1ntments when the president-elect
takes office. Now the Democrats will
| have control of the senate after March
4, but by an exceedingly slender No
1ority margin. 1t may be thatkhe
| Democrats will have a majority of
two, but it is possible that majority
OF one viii be all that they can mus
ter.
In this case it readily can be seen
| that unless after March all the Dem
| ocrats are in attendance at the sen
| ate's executive sessions, the Republic
ans by acting together can prevent
the confirmation of any appointments
which they choose. The threat at
present extends only to a determine
ton to refuse confirmation to those
| appointments of Mr.. Wilson which are
intended to take the places of those
already made by Mr.. Taft, and which
the Democrats are holding up
6dtIlSSnlpS right NOW On.
The yearly fight has been started in
congress on the proposition to au-
thorize the construction of new bat
tleships. Secretary-of the Navy Mey-
er has asked for three ships. but as
has been explained in previous dis
patches it is probable that he asked
for three in order that he might be
sure to get one or possibly two.
Some prominent Democratic mem
bers of the house have started the
fight against battleship construction
on the ground that the money which
4 thus is used would be much better
spent for public buildings. Last year
there was no public building measure
passed, and as every member of con-
gress is DESTROYS of getting something
in the shape of a public building for
his district because of the prestige
which such an accomplishment gives
him at home, it readily can be seen
how strong an appeal there is in the
plan for a big public building appro-
priation.
Can Wilson Control Senate?
When Woodrow Wilson first be-
came an announced candidate for
the nomination of his party for
the presidency the contest be-
came, in racing parlance, Wilson
against the field 1t might seem at
first thought that this was not the
case because Champ Clark had more
votes among the delegates than Mr.
Wilson, but from the very beginning
of the struggle there was feeling
apparent in Democratic circles that
before the contest ended in the con-
vention hall a combination of the
field would be necessary to defeat
Wilson.
1t is to-day everybody's secret, be
cause the whole matter has been laid
bare in previous Washington dis
patches, that President-elect Wilson
Is more concerned over the senate's
probable attitude toward his policies
than he is over any other possible OPP
position either from a party or a leg
islative source. The question there
fore which Mr.. Wilson's strongest
Democratic supporters are trying to
answer is whether the Democratic
senators who were with 'the field,
and opposed to Mr.. Wilson's can
didacy because of his supposed rad
ical tendencies, will join with the pro-
gressive Democrats to give his poll
cies the force and effect of legisla-
ton
Absolutely united Democratic SEN
ate support will be needed if the in
coming president is to have things
done as he wants them done. There
are several Democratic senators who
were. opposed to Mr.. Wilson as can
didate for the nomination who to-day
are making a brave showing of 10y
atty and the Wilson Democrats be-
lieve that this loyalty will stand the
test when support is asked for poll
cies which some of the conservative
Democratic senators hitherto have
held as being entirely too radical to
become the law of the land.
No Certainty of United Support.
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia, who
was supposed during the pre-conven-
ton campaign to have Harmon lean
ings, is to-day doing his best to help
along a plan of Democratic oIganiza-
ton of the senate which will give Mr..
Wilson the support which will be
necessary if his legislation is to be
sanctioned in the way that he wants
it sanctioned. There are other SEN
ators who prior to the Democratic
convention were for Clark, or Under
wood, or Harmon, who to-day are say
ing that they will stand firmly in sup
port of anything which Mr. Wilson
recommends If they believe that back
OF 1t is the will of the party There
are still other senators of the con-
servative type who have made no
promises of support concerning the
reform Of the currency, downward re-
vision OF the tariff or antitrust iegis-
lation In the forms in which it is be-
lieyed Mr. Wilson will ask congress
to deal with these questions.