The Washington herald., 1914-07-02
SENATORS VOTE
TOSTAY ON JOB
Democrats, in Caucus, Refuse
to Pledge Themselves to
Pass Trust Bills.
TO DISPOSE OF" THEM
All Hope of Adjournment Before Early
Fall DisappearsIFight Ahead
for Wilson.
TO DISPOSE OF" THEM

All nope Tor an adjournment OF Sou-
gress before early fall disappeared yester-
day when a caucus OF Democratic Sena-
tors voted to remain in SESSION until the
trust bills are disposed Of"
In connection with this action an effort
was made by the administration to OBJ
tain a caucus pledge to pass the pend
ing antitrust bills, but it failed. In fact,
the attitude OF the Senators was such as
to indicate clearly to President Wilson
that his program has stormy time
ahead.
The original resolution was submitted
to the caucus after a conference with
President Wilson. and after it had been
approved by the steering committee of
the Senate. 1t provided that the session
of Congress should go on until the bills
are passed"
A General Outcry.
The resolution was presented by Sem
ator Stone and Immediately there was
such an outcry against the language Of
the resolution that 1t was modified SO as
not to bind any Senator to vote for the
passage" of any of the three trust bills.
Senator Pomerene, of Ohio, for example,
went on record as saying that he could
l4Ol dRplONt NldS UNI WIN
emption for labor unions Senator Reed
avowed himself against the fifth section
of the pending Federal trade commission
bill which forbids unfair competition"
and instructs the new commission to put
a stop to it. Senator Reed has attacked
that provision on the floor Of the Senate
as unconstitutional.
Many Democrats wanted to go home
after the Federal trade commission bill
is passed II 1t is ever put through More
than one of the Democrats present served
notice that Congress would not get away
before September if the trust legislation
was insisted upon.
Text of ResoIu tOin.
As passed finally the resolution was
rather inocuous: Resolved, That this
conference of Democratic Senators, after
due consideration, hereby declares that
the present session of Congress should not
adjourn until at least the following bills,
now pending in the Senate, are disposed
of."a
IT, follows an enumeration of the
three trust bills by their number, the
Clayton, railroad securities and Federal
trade commission bill.
After the adoption of the resolution
some of the Democrats present thought
they had been committed too far and
resolution interpreting the former reso-
luton:
The resolution hereinbefore adopted
is intended merely as an expression OF
the purpose of the majority party III
reference to adjournment
This resolution was bitterly opposed by
the Presidents friends and the promoters
of the trust program The vote on
was II to 16
chairman Kern, of the caucus, was
directed to move for night sessions next
week to dispose of bills on the calendar
and other important business.
Senator Stone raised an uproar by pro-
uosins a resolution declaring that II was
the duty of Senators to remain IN the
Senate while the trust legislative program
was under way and that their absence at
this time. especially OF the Democrats
was little short of reprehensible. This
aroused such opposition that il was final
Iy withdrawn. But Senator Lewis was
asked to busy himself to keep a quorum
present at all times. Even this was not
put in written form. Presented in writ
ing it was objected to as probably re-
hecting on Senators necessarily absent
and it was finally confined to verbal
instruction to Senator Lewis, who is the
whip"
Those Who spoke.
Speeches were made by Senator Clarke,
Senator Williams, Senator Shively. Sena-
tor Reed, Senator Pomerene, Senator
Lewis Senator Kern and Senator Stone.
1t came out in the course of the con-
ference that Senator Stone had con-
ferred with the President and he favored
the resolution and approved of the eau
Gus, but il was said for him that at this
time he was Opposed to making the trust
bills party measures and objected tC
an attempt to bind the action of indi-
vidual Senators at this time
A motion to make the trust bills
party measures by a specific declara-
ton was rejected by the caucus which
in turn rejected a declaration that they
were mot party measures"
The caucus decided to say nothing as
to the party cOloring-of the bills and to
keep them open for the greatest freedom
Of amendment and for free individual
action by Senators. 1t was conceded,
however, that a caucus may be neces-
sary later.