Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-12-26


and threatened men. They bad to
make trades. and that is why they per-
mitted the four amendments to be vOt-
ed on. and they had a mighty tough
time getting enough votes to adopt the
rule and pass the bill
Democrats Must Stand 6runt.
Now, in regard to caucus rule. We
must have organization In order to en-
act the will Of the people into law. In
the Democratic caucus every man has
the right to offer any amendment and
debate 1t as long as he desires. The
debate in the Democratic caucus was
free and ample. The truth is the peo-
pie Of the United States want to know
what congress does. They are more
interested in results than how they are
worked out We made up our minds
as Democrats that we were RESPONSE
Bile for legislation and that we were
going to give the people results. We
found that 1t could be done best by
considering the bills in caucus and
agreeing upon them.
and the currency bill works right-of
course they are experiments to some
extent-who is going to get the credit
for them? The Democrats Suppose
the bills work badly, who Is going to
be pounded for 1t next year and in
1915? Why. the Democrats The Re-
publicans are spectators. II these bills
work badly our opponents will take
advantage Of 1t and criticise us. So
we would be a pack Of imbeciles. be-
ing responsible for legislation. not to
formulate the legislation for tariff and
currency. We passed those bills as
party measures, passed them as Dem
ocrats wanted them taking the respon-
slbility for them. We would have been
Just as responsible If we had not held
IA caucus and the Republicans and Pro
gressives had put in them the amend
ments they offered in the house.
My friend Victor Murdoch. the leader
of the Progressive party In the house.
has been one of the most severe critics
of the caucus system and asserted that
the tariff ought to be thrown open to
amendment and consideration in the
house. | should like to find out how he
would ever get tariff bill containing
1900 items passed by 1875 men repre-
senting as many districts, each differ
ing somewhat In his interests and
ideas from the other. Such method
would also tend to logrolling and trad
ing. There is more logrolling and trad
ing in the consideration of bills by all
parties on the floor of the house than
when bills are considered by party eau
Gus The party caucus makes the in
dividunl sacrifice something to the gen
eral good In an open grab game ever!
fellow tries to get everything he can
for himself and is Willis tn trad
ncIuss the party aisle. With measure
such as the tariff and currency part.
men must get together. Talk If over 'n''
agree. BY Murdock's plan we couI;
not have passed tariff betwiXt tho
opening Of the session and March 3
1915
Every man in the house Republican
and Progressive. had the chance to Of
fer any amendment he wanted and to
get vote upon it. j. Hampton Moore
Wyoming each offered about 200 amend
ments to the tariff bill. talked on them
and had vote. Every other man had
the same opportunity. And when their
amendments were voted down they
howled about the caucus. We made
our bill as we wanted 1t In the caucus
and passed it In the house. For one
am willing to let the result 60 to the
American people for their judgment.
Democrats Wore Gloomy.
The Democratic successes in 1910
and 1912 and the making of Demo-
cratic tariff were the result Of revO
luton And this Is how it started In
the spring of 1908 ii little handful Of
us in the house started Il tariff debate
John Sharp Williams. now senator
from Mississippi: Mr. Underwood. the
late David A De Almond Of Missouri
and some others of us took part in ii
That WAS Il gloomy period for the
Democrats They had been licked so
often and regularly that they had
formed the habit of defeat and were
the butt Of many political jokes and
giles on that account. During those
debates we w%it after the Republic
nns. sometimes by briaades by regi
tents hv companies. by squads, and
sometimes In single combat and some
times from aml,uScade. One day was
having a heated debate with Serene
V. Payne Of New York then chair
IN of the ways and means committee.
and he got very hot under the collar.
He was getting the worst of it an6
| finally made the declaration-the first
| | had ever heard by Republican,
| that If The Republicans carried the
country they would revise the tariff
He did not say they would revise 1t
up, because he was afraid to- He did