Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-24

Democratic enemy in the next cleo
t1on- These Progressive Republicans,
men like Cummins, Borah and others,
are moderate tariff revisionists and it
is not likely that they would stand
with the old line Republicans in oppo-
sltion to those provisions of the new
Dill 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. If they
can get the support of the progress
slFes or their party they may be will
ing to make stand and to protest vir-
tualiy against every provision in the
bill. but otherwis, they may elect 10
alioW the measure to so 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 it would be better for
the party not 10 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 few speeches saying that the
bill would be disastrous T the coun-
try, and then to sit back, let the meas
ure go through and 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-
IcanS. 1t is certain to come if the
progressiVes of their party will join
with them in 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 if 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 it. The high protection Re-
publicans say that such course sim
ply would accentrate the difference of
tariff opinion in their party.
May Be Little Opposition.
So it may be that the tariff bill as
framed by the Democrats will 60
through the senate without much Re-
rI1hlioan hut t.
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 intellectually
AS has been minated, President
Wilson himself is still in the twilight
zone on the subject of the outcome in
the senate on tariff legislation as pro-
posed by the bill which has been in
troduced into the house. No president
ever has been able to know definitely
in advance what the senators were
going to do.
President Wilson seemingly is OPT
timistic even while he does not see
his way yet perfectly clear to com
plete success for his tariff measure
in congress. The friends of the ad-
ministration declare that the president
thinks all the Democratic senators
eventually will be brought into line
and that the bill which will go through
will bear SO few marks of compro-
mise that it rightly can be called an
administration measure and a Balti- |
more platform measure. The progress
sive Democrats in the senate are doing |
everything which they can to bring |
their higher protection brethren into |
line on sugar, lumber and wool. II
they succeed it will make little differ
ence probably what the Republicans
do, for the Democrats have solid
majority of six in the upper house and
this is as good as if it were six hun
dred.
May Fine Absentees.
AZ l. 1T4 r.