Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-27
DEMOCRATS GET BEHIND PREsi-
DENTS MEASURE 6Y eau.
Gus ACTION.
ALMOST CERTAIN TO DELAY
ACTION THIS SESSION
Opposition to Fight Bill and May
Force Extra Session-Democrats Sec
Nothing But Trouble Ahead If Extra
Session Is Found Neeessary-Gen-
eraI News.
Especial correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington. Jan. 27.-With the de-
cision of the senate democratic caucus
to make the administration ship pur-
chase bill a party measure and press
| it to passage to the exclusion OF all
other legislation, leaders of all ele-
ments at the capitol today regard an
extra session as inevitable.
This is so Tar true, that senators and
members of the house have begun to
make their personal arrangements in
| the belief tfat an extra session can not
be avoided. And the question of the
best time to begin the extra session is
already being informally discussed
both among senate and house MEM
bers.
Moreover. although it has been often
declared the administration is opposed
to an extra session, there is wide
spread scepticism on this point at the
capitol. The foremost of the republic
lton leaders say that as a matter of
fact the president will welcome good
excuse for calling an extra session In
he belief that an extra session may
help the democratic party politically
! Trouble For Party.
1t is well known that Leader Under
wood in the house and Leader Kern in
| the senate do not want an extra ses-
| son and that some of the presidents
political advisers see nothing but
trouble for the democratic party in an
extra session Certain OF these adj
yisers have urged that the president
drop the ship purchase bill and avoid
| an extra session. But the president
! will push the ship purchase bill, al
tho as things have now shaped UP
to do so seems certain to bring about
a special meeting of congress the
coming spring to pass the appropria-
ton bills. However, if special ses-
sion is held general legislation OF a
varied nature will he strongly de-
manded.
! Democrats in the senate. in deciding
| Saturday to make the ship purchase
! bill a party measure and crowd II
ahead to the sidetracking of every
! thing else said this course would
| throw on the republicans the burden
OF forcing an extra session. On the
other hand. the opponents of the ship
purchase hill say the responsibility for
an extra session will rest with the ad-
ninistration because of its efforts to
force a ship purchase bill on an I'M
willing congress.
| II is conceivable that an extra ses-
sion might yet be avoided by the de-
vice of passing joint resolutions to
continue in force for another year the
appropriation acts for the present
fiscal year. But this course is i'm
lprobable. For one thing, such plan
would interfere seriously with the de-
sires of those members OF house and
senate who are eager to have river
and harbor bill of goodly dimensions
enacted.
Hard Struggles Ahead.
The decision OF the democratic
caucus means that the senate for an
indefinite time to come will he the
scene Of one of the hardest struggles
seen at the capitol for many months
The opponents of the ship purchase
bill are more determined to fight thar
ever. On the other hand, the demo
cratic leaders, spurred by the White
House. are determined to keep the shiI
purchase bill constantly before the
senate, with long daily sessions ant
later on, night sessions. All-day ant
all might sessions may eventually b'
tried.
Five weeks and a half OF the pres
leDt session remains. Some Of the re
publican leaders in the senate insis
thew can keep up the fiilibuster on shil
purchase for that length of time. The!
do not, Of course. call it a filibustei
They say the ship purchase bill viii
be fully debated This is tn
int cv
flibuster.
This Session or Not at All.
The truth is that if the administra
ton does not drive the ship purchas
bill thru at this session it probabl
can not pass it at all. 1t is know
that In the next house there will
about thirty democrats against
THE house republicans are almost soil
against the bill.
Undoubtedly, therefore, one stron
treason for the insistence OF the presi
dent on the getting the ship purchas
bill passed this session is that 1t is
case of passing it now or never. Gel
tain it is that the president will nm
much more difficulty rallying the vot'
needed to pass the bill in the ne
congress than in the present one.
knowledge of this situation in II
new house makes the opponents OF II
bill in the senate the more determine
to fend 1t off for this session.
Extreme lukewarmness toward u
bill is felt among democratic senator
despite the caucus action Saturday
is known that some of the ablest OF
1.-The democratic senators who ma
lined up for the bill believe 1t unwi
ce but are unwilling to go counter to u