The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-05-02
IN FEAR Of SENATE
DEMOCRATS ANXIOUS REGARD.
ING ATTITUDE OF PARTY SEN.
AToRS TO TARIFF.
SEE TROUBLE IN SOME ITEMS
Sugar, Wool and Lumber Schedules
Likely to Meet opposition-other
important Legislation Which Must
Command Attention.
By GEORGE CLINTON


BY GEORGE CLINTON
Washington.-There Is silk keen
anxiety among the Democratic leaders
lest a minority of the Democrats IN
the senate may make up their minds
to fight against the adoption OF certain
OF the provisions which the house Will
make as a part of the party's great
tariff program. There is still a dan
ger, it Is said in other dispatches, that
q minority OF the Democrats Joining
the Republicans and progressive he
publicans may change parts OF the
tariff bill so radically that the house
may refuse to accept the senate's
findings in the cases in point. This
will mean long controversy IN the
conference between the two houses
and 1t may possibly lead to compro'
misses of which President Wilson may
fail to approve.
This does not mean that Mr.. Wilson
would veto the tariff legislation but 1t
means, If 1t should come about, that
he may urge with all his power the
necessity of following the spirit of the
Democratic platform and may take a
personal hand in the conference as ne
has In the committee rooms already,
and insist that pledges shall be full
filed as he thinks the members of his
party at large believe they should be
fulfilled
One Democratic senator said the
other day that sugar was always sweet
excepting that when 1t entered into
the tariff cup and then it became In
stantly exceedingly bitter. There are
other things besides sugar which may
cause trouble in the senate. Wool and
lumber have not yet passed safely the
stage of troubling. There have been
several tariff sessions In the last few
years and in every one Of them these
three articles have been causes for
bitterness of feeling, long drawn out
debates, personalities which some
times have been almost offensive, and
"rows and ructions" generally. The
party in power admits that it will look
with much more complacency on life
when new tariff legislation Is on the
statute books approved by congress
and by the president, and waiting ap-
proyal by the people.
Other Work Ahead.
There are other things besides tariff
which soon must occupy the attention
of the Democrats, and few of them
are occupying their attention today.
Here are the principal things which
the party in power hopes to put into
legislative form before the congress
now in session ends its life In March
1916:
Tariff revision.
Currency reform.
Revision of the Sherman law.
A budget system to make easier the
consideration of the Appropriation bills
and legislation which will make for ef-
ficiency and economy in the govern
ment's departmental service.
Philippine independence.
Panama canal legislation again in
volving the question Of free toll for
coastwise ships.
Legislation looking to food proven.
ton.
Conservation with a. leaning toward
control by the states.
Revision of the rules of the house,
but revision Of kind which will not
make 1t appear that the dominant
party wishes to restore a one man
rule.
Legislation for the compensation OF
federal employees who are injured OF
who suffer from occupational diseases
in the course of their employment
legislation which in another form will
cover employees engaged in interstate
commerce.
This is recognized by the Democrats
as a most ambitious program and com
paratively few of them apparently
think that all the things here set dowr
can be accomplished within the life O
Ione congress. Some of the leaders say
that II any three Of the greater things
are done and find acceptance with tn,
country. the Sixty-fourth congress
like the present one, will be found tt
be well within the control of the Dem
ocratic party.
Old Line Senators at Sea.
President Wilson and the Democrat
In official life in Washington general,
are not the only ones in the capita
deeply interested in the outcome o
tariff legislation in the upper hous
at this extra session. 1t Is perfectl
apparent that the old line Republican
leaders of the senate are on the ur
certain seat They do not kno,
whether to become active fighter
against the Democratic bill or t
remain as non-combatants. Naturall
they are looking to the future and t
the future Of their party. and iudgin
from appearances they would Civ
much to know today just what pros
pect there is of ultimate concor
among the Democratic senators on tn
subject of the house bill.
In the senate the progressive Repul
licans are In the main apparently fail