The Washington herald., 1915-12-11
CAUCUS To PUSH
war FISCAL ACT
Leaders Will Whip Democrats
Into Line to Hurry Pas
sage of Measure.
FEARFUL OF FAILURE
Effort Will Be Made to Re-enact
Emergency Revenue Bill by
New Year.

A caucus Of the Democrats of thu
House will be held Monday night to pas.
a resolution committing members Of tht
party to a resolution pledging support tc
President Wilson's recommendation fol
the immediate re-enactment of the war.
revenue emergency act.
A good deal of significance Is attached
to the decision OF the Democratic leaders
to resort to old King Caucus to put
through a bill extending the life Of the
war-revenue act. which under present
law. will expire December 81. 1t is &C
cepted as an indication that the House
leaders are fearful that with a majority
of only twenty-four there will be many
occasions in the session when it may be
difficult to hold Democrats In line fol
administration or party measures.
The war-revenue emergency act yields
only about SIS, 900 a year. II collec-
tions from this source should be sus-
pended even temporarily, the Treasury
which is already in a bad way owing to
declining receipts from customs, would
be still further embarrassed. A canvass
Of the House Democrats disclosed that
many members Of the party are at heart
opposed TO the war taxes. and. accord
ingly. 1t was agreed that the best way
out Of the difficulty was to bind all of
IneTIl, IL pOsSlDicp liioo6h q NoNNeS AAA1>&A-
date.
1t is admitted by Democratic leaders.
in view OF the fact that they must go to
the caucus to force the passage OF the
proposed bill extending the life Of the
war act that like procedure may have to
be followed in the case of general reve-
nue. legislation. which will come up later
in the session. the administration snip
ping bill, and other measures included in
President Wilson's legislative program.
No Attempt to Amend.
At Mondays caucus full vent will be
given the views of Democrats who are
opposed to an enlarged program OF ma
tional defense on the ground that 1t Will
entail additional taxes that are likely TO
pla que the party in the campaign OF next
year As national defense and new taxes
are correlated in the administration pro-
gram. 1t Is the general expectation that
the former question will be debated at
length.
The little navy" members intend to
take advantage of the occasion In an
endeavor to stir UP sentiment in opposi-
ton to President Wilson's recommended
ton for increased appropriations for two
military establishments.
Despite grumbling on the part OF DEM
ocrats the leaders appear to be conndent
that the extension bill will be passed in
both Houses before the holidays. No at
tempt will be made to amend the law In
any particular. 4 pledge Will be made
for the benefit OF the Senate Republicans
that when the time comes to pass gen.
eral revenue legislation later in the ses-
sion opportunity will be given to amend
the war act. 1t Is understood that such
a pledge was demanded before the Senate
Republicans would consent to the pass
ing of the bill in that body.
Should there be any upset In this plan
the customary holiday recess will be
a bandoned and the Senate kept In session
night and day with a view to assuring
the extension Of the war act beyond De-
cember 81, the date OF its expiration un-
der present law. However. the Demo-
cratic leaders are confident that their
promise to afford opportunity to amend
the law later will result in prompt acton
on the extension bill in time to permit
the President to give his approval before
he leaves Washington for his honeymoon
December IS
In the last Congress the war act was
put on the statute books by an over
whelming vote in both Houses OF Cor
eress. At that time the Democrats had
majority Of about fourteen in the House.
Things are different now. The Demo-
cratic plurality over the minority in the
present House is twenty-four. The de-
sertion of a handful OF Democrats would
result in the defeat Of the extension bill.
In the last House all the Republicans
and Progressives voted against the war