Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-27
Gathered in the By,Oays
,,sc,a, 70 r,mes-Kepubl,can.

00SUGIGO SJS SSSS OysOsAyO
Special to Times-Kepublican.
| Des Moines, Sept. 27.-The position
which Senator Cummins has taken on
! the democratic method of handling
| tariff bill 10 not hard to understand. He
| has criticized the plan Of having the
tariff law made by a few people and
not by congress.
| There Is not on record anywhere
| that a congressional caucus was held
| to dispose Of any matter of legisla-
ton Of any kind" he said. From
! earliest times, legislation has been
| open to discussion. No party has ever
| until this year resorted to the caucus
method Of framing up party measure.
! There have been caucuses OF ali par
| ties, to be sure, but they were not eau
| cuses on matter Of legislation. This
year President Wilson has used the i'm
| mense power Of his office, not for this
or that schedule. for he has apparently
not cared what kind of tariff bill was
made. but to compel party solidarit!
thru the caucus. The house commit
Tee took the bill and the majority mem
1 bers simply shut out the minor
ity from all consideration. and
then reported to caucus. which
/ finished the bill in the house. 1t was
put thru without material change. Then
II came 10 the senate and the demo-
cratic members OF the committee pro-
ceeded TO divide il up among them
selves for amendment. later reporting
10 senate caucus which decreed the
passage Of the bill. No tariff bill or
any other bill was ever before MADE IN
any such manner.
The effect OF this procedure is 10
completely efface from all ccnsidera-
ton all the minority members Of con-
gress.
The senate finance committee had
nine democrats and seven republicans.
J The nine Genaocra agreed 10 stand to-
sethed for their bill in caucus. When
II is considered that usually only TWEEN
ty 10 twenty FIVE attend the caucuses
il was easy 10 see how the majority
members Of the finance committee
have had their way. The tariff bill is
therefore the product. not % congress-
| but of a mere handful OF the members
OF ,te majority party.
The present plan in congress is TO
! nave the banking bill made in the same
way. thar is. 10 have il disposed Of by
q committee and the caucus. instead OF
/ being debated On the floor OF the SEN
are and finished there. The president
has decided that this shall be done.
and If ne has the influence 10 compel
il the banking bill viii be framed up
: in exactly the same way as The tariff
Dill. Senator Cummins says the bank
ms bill will De much more a senate
Dill. however, than was the tariff bill.
II may not be submitted 10 the caucus
until after il has been debated on the
aoor Of the senate, since a great many
| OF the democratic senators are chahnS
under the situation thus created. ard
there vii! be much less criticism if the
caucus is he'd after the bill is debated
than If il is held before il is opened for
discussion in the senate.
From the view point of the Iowa SEN
Tor senator there will never be acaui-
escence in the system OF having lek-
/ is!acion made in party caucuses upon
reports from the party members of the
committees.
Anthony Van wagenen. United States
attorney for the northern district, takes
thoroughly optimistic view of the
! President Wilson is making good in
every way" he declared while here the
other day He is gaining strength
among the people all the time because
/ ne is getting the things that the people
want There are great many people
in Iowa who are saying now for the
{ first time they are going to stand by the
president and vote with him in the
future. The outlook for great increase
/ in the democratic vote in Iowa next
year is excellent"
/ The situation in the Seventh congress
sional district has not changed in the
least recently. John Muivany and C. s.
] Cooter will be candidates for the demo-
cratic nomination. Or at least they
/ will be il Judge Prouty is not a candi-
| date 10 succeed himself They both
are very confident Of winning against
| any new candidate Neither one at
heart believes ne can beat Prouty. In
the meantime some Des Moines men
| have been out over the district scouting
for Ex- Senator Cash DowelI as can
didate for the republican nomination.
They find that Doweli is practically not
| known at all outside Of Polk county
and that It is very hard to interest any
one in the matter SO long as the atti-
tude of the present congressman is I'M
known. Neither Dowell nor MuIraney
! nor any IF the close friends OF Prouty
know as yet what he intends doing:
but il is certain he has not as yet given
any one the right to declare that he
| will not again seek the nomination and
election.
The worst local political r,nldle seer
| in Iowa for a number of years appears
10 be in process of Development in De.s
Moines The Hanna administration is
going on the rocks because OF bad ad-
,-ics somewhere. II :hc first place the
administration as a whole has not been
very responsive 20 popular opinion in
the city. and now il has put up a city
railway franchise that suits neither
! the corporations nor the patrons OF
the road There is big storm brewing
and it may engulf the whole admin
stration.