The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-26
REPUBLICAN
SPLIT WIDENS
Bourbons at the Helm in the
Party Caucus in
Washington
GARDNER HAS
NOT A CHANCE
Instead, Fordney Urges Old
High Tariff No Chance
for Harmony

Washington, Jan, 26-The Bourbonism
that learns nothing and forgets nothing
evidently was in control of the confer
ence of House Republicans Wednesday
night, juding from accounts Of the affair
that are trickling from the statesmen
who were pledged to secrecy as to its
doings, The meeting was presided over
by William. s. Greene of Massachusetts,
who evidently had his rulings in an ad
yanced state of preparation when the
meeting was called to order; the plans
had been prepared by members of the
old guard like Fordney of Michigan and
Longworth of Ohio; and Fordney ap.
peared as chief speaker and opponent Of
the program Of progressive legislation
which the Progressives desired to have
seriously considered. Mr.. Fordham OPP
posed the preparation of an independent
tariff bill but wanted the revenue bill
recommitted and the committee ordered
to report in its stead tariff bill "nope
of the rates of which should be higher
than in the Payne Aldrich tariff law"
Congressman Gardeners program was
voted down, as were motions of Ander |
son of Minnesota and j, Hampton Moore |
OF Pennsylvania, aiming to provide for !
committee to frame progressive pro-
gram.
The adoption of Longworth's motion
carrying out the Fordney plan was the
only actual business transacted. The
Gardner plan was so extensive that had |
the conference gone on record in favor |
of even part of it the Progressives would
have been encouraged to cooperate with
the Republicans and start toward real
harmony would have been made. But the 4
old leadership would stand for nothing
that was not a Republican tenet in the
strongest days of Cannonism, and the
conference as a whole served rather TO
emphasize factional differences than to
heal them.
The caucus formally dropped the pol.
Icy of holding open public conferences
over party matters, and by a vote of los
to Is agreed to secret caucus to harmon
re differences. The Republican confer
snces have been open ever since the days
of the Progressive fight in the House
ed by Victor Murdoch of Kansas. Rep
Gardner of Massachusetts
Ind fourteen Others stood out for open
sessions. #A
Representative Gardner, on whose pc
.ition the conference was held, urged his
colleagues to abandon the policy OF strict
ind undertaking conservatism which has .
been so marked of late years, except dur.
ng Roosevelt's Second term" and sub
nitted legislative program for the
,arty. 1t included unemployment insur-
lnce. old age insurance, a minimum wage
or women and children, and an eight
lour day for women and children with
10 overtime. compulsory arbitration of
III transportation disputes, compulsory
military training, immediate prepared
Tess, the budget system, and elimination
i pork" in public building and river
nd harbor acts
THE brains are on our side of the
Iouse,' Mr.. Gardner said. Democrats
pend money like drunken sailors, but
or all that the people viii retain them
n power, in spite of Democratic ineom-
etence. If we turn our backs on liberal
agislation."
Representative Fordney made a speech
n the revenue situation. Republican
eader Mann was absent on account of
evere cold